Dragon Wars
by Death from Shadows
Summary: Born with a curse, forced into slavery, Natsu falls in love with princess Lucy. As he tries to find a way to keep their love a secret from her father and the rest of the kingdom, he and his friends fight to free their people not only from their bonds, but from their curse as well. Treachery stirs and soon Natsu finds himself fighting to regain everything he's lost. NaLu and GaLe
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The Cursed Boy

In a world not unlike ours there lived a noble race of beings known as dragons. Though these dragons are not like the ones most people know from legend and folklore. They were large beasts, kings of the skies. Beasts whose flames could ignite the mightiest forests ablaze and whose roars could shake the sturdiest mountains. But there is something else about them that make them unlike the beasts that are known, these dragons were once humans.

The Draconans were a mighty people of peace and prosperity. They lived along rivers near hills, isolated from most other peoples around them. They valued the arts and education above all else. And from then they became experts in trade, able to sell their products for vast amounts of wealth. Soon they amassed large amounts of gold, jewels, spices and various other goods. Their villages were prosperous and their people advanced. They lived long fulfilling lives amongst themselves in their homes. For decades they had no need for war.

Though peace would not last, for there were others who grew envious of the Draconans. Soon they found themselves besieged by outsiders all around, plundering the Draconans for their wealth. Their riches were pillage from them, their people slaughtered at the sword or sold into slavery. The Draconans had no means of fighting back, and in their desperation they sought the help of a powerful wizard hoping that he could save them from their peril.

The wizard agreed, but on one condition; the people would have to forfeit over all their treasures. The leader of the Draconans was reluctant, but he saw no other choice. He agreed, but unfortunately the Draconans were deceived. The wizard did in fact use his power, but instead of using it to protect them he cast a terrible curse on them. A curse that turned the remaining Draconans into horrible beasts. Though they were finally able to fight back against their aggressors the cost was too high.

Unable to control themselves, the Draconans ravished their once lustrous and peaceful land eradicating all in their wake. The only one able to control the dragons was the wizard himself, but after taking all the treasure he could get his hands on he vanished. Disappearing from the world never to be heard of again. Even though he left, the curse remained, leaving the world at the hands of the dragons of which he created.

It was from that point the remaining human settlements banded together to fight and hopefully bring an end to the dragons. Army after army fell in their wake. Thousands of men were killed, their sacrifice only accounted for a few dragons. It seemed like an all hope was lost as the last remnants of each army decided to disperse and leave the native land of the Draconans to the dragons. It was in that same battle that Darius Heartfilia, father of Prince Jude Heartfilia perished, leaving his young son to inherit his throne.

After his father's death, King Jude Heartfilia, the new ruler of the realm that bordered the Draconans devised a plan that they would execute a sneak attack on the dragons when they were sleeping. He was a young king, one that had just recently ascended to the thrown after his father had been killed in a battle with the dragons. He was a stout man, burly with a well-toned build. He was often praised for his intellect and ingenuity on the battlefield. He commanded great respect from his peers despite his youth. He had a long mane of blonde hair and eyes like the bark of the redwood tree. He and several of his highest ranked knights gathered together and one night they made their way to the bosom of the large mountain in the heart of the Draconans' land where their lair resided.

Kind Jude had a fellowship of seven knights, those he considered to be the highest ranked in his kingdom. They wore silver armor with the crest of an eagle beholding a snake in its talons on their shields. They rode through the ruins of a Draconan city called Boga. The once great walls lied in rubble, the tops of each building desecrated by flame. The city lay scorched, and though it was King Jude's assumption that this was the work of the dragons, he could not honestly be sure. All life had left, not even a weed grew in the city anymore. This was one of the cities he believed his father's own soldiers had laid siege on back when they tried to invade the territory back before the curse.

They rode on, further down into the forests towards the mountains. It was late in the afternoon and they had hoped to reach the mountain before nightfall. As they rode King Jude noticed something, he could not hear the sound of bird or beast. Though they continued to ride on. He hoped that a small band would be able to bypass through the dragon's territory without being detected.

By nightfall they had arrived at the base of the mountain, and there near the edge of a river they could hear the rumbling sounds echo through the caverns. King Jude and his men knew that a dragon, or possibly dragons rested deep within. They were hesitant, knowing that they only had one means of escape and that a dragon's breath could travel great distances. So he had four of his men enter first to insure that it was safe.

Soon the men returned unscathed.

"My lord," said the first knight. "There is only one dragon that resides in the cave and it is deep in slumber. The noise we heard was nothing more than it's snoring."

"Very well," King Jude said as he stepped forward. "We shall go in and slay the beast as it lays in its slumber."

The men agreed and followed the king into the mountain. It was not long before they came upon the sleeping dragon, the only light came from the torches they carried with them. It was then that King Jude gave the order and he and his men plunged on the sleeping dragon and smite it where it lay. A loud roar bellowed from the dragon as it fell dead. It was then another noise erupted, the sound of a baby's cries. King Jude approached he noticed something near the stomach of the slain beast. There lying by the dragon's bosom was a baby dragon, only as Jude began to approach it the dragon slowly morphed into a baby boy. Astonish the King peered down at the child as he drew his sword above his head.

Every instinct in the flowed through King Jude demanded that he slay the child there at that moment. His mind and heart told him that he must do it, but against that judgment King Jude decided not to, and lowered his sword. His men watched, both with intrigue and worry, as one knight held the light closer to the boy revealing his spikey pink hair and tan colored skin.

"Sire, what is your command?" one of the knights asked.

King Jude sheathed his sword. "Take the boy," he ordered. "We shall take him back to the kingdom. Perhaps he could be of some use to us."

The King took the child and handed him to one of his knights, a young man with clean cut black hair, a large square nose and dark eyes. He was no older than a young man in his mid-teens. He took the child and covered him with a brown cloth before he followed the king and the other knights out of the cave. Once they were back outside a loud roar echoed from the mountainside. Horrified the king and the knights gazed up to see a large red dragon swooping down upon them with a blaze.

With great haste, King Jude and his knights galloped away from the mountain back down dirt road. The sound of the dragon's roar echoed behind them, mixed with the sound of the infant child's cries. The young knight held the baby tight as he felt a stream of fire sweep by him, consuming one of the knights next to him. He heard the wail of the man's pain as he was consumed by the fire, and then silence as nothing more than a burnt crisp remained. Though he didn't allow it to stop him, he continued to follow behind the rest of the group, King Jude up in the front. The cries of the baby still bellowed out

He kept his head down, his eyes up front as he could feel a gust of wind brush by him as he was knocked to the side, but not of his horse. He heard the sound of jaws snapping above him as the dragon passed by him, but continued to fly forward not missing the opportunity to snatch up one of the other knights in front of him and tossed his body like a rag doll to the ground in a lump.

The knights and King Jude continued to ride, seeing the ruins of Boga lay before them. The wails of men's screams continue to echo out with the shrieks of the dragons. The young knight kept a firm grip child close his cries persisting. They made their way to the walls of the city, hoping that it could provide some cover from the dragon and its flames. Then the beast began to make another swoop before flying back into the night sky to make for another attack. The dragon disappeared from view into the darkness.

They rode into the city, by then there were only a few knights remaining along with King Jude. The young knight held tight to the boy as the dragon came back down once more, breathing fire across their hides. Fortunately the buildings provided some cover, but not enough. Again the dragon swooped down, this time picking up one man and taking him up into the air. The young knight watched as his companion was carried off into the darkness with a shrill of terror.

They finally made their way out of the ruins of Boga and into open grassland. There was no hope for them out there in space. They had no room to hide, no place to take cover if the dragon were to come back for another attack. They could only hope that they can dodge it long enough for them to make an escape. But to the young knight's amazement the cries of the dragon had stopped, and he could no longer hear it flying above them. He peered back, though his mind screamed at him not to, seeing the beast perch itself on top of a tower of the old gate. He could only see the shadowy figure, but he knew it was the dragon. With one last breath it shrieked out to the night sky, and it was then that the young knight knew that the dragon had stopped following them. He didn't know why, but he didn't care to find out.

Finally after a few more hours of riding they finally came to a stop. It was in that moment that he realized that it was only he and the king that remained of their company. The infant still clutched in his hands was now asleep, while resting gently in the brown cloth. The sun began to peak over the hills in the east. They had been riding all night.

"It appears that we are all that remains, Arcadios," King Jude said to the young knight. "Bring the child, we're only a few miles from home."

Arcadios obliged as he followed him. He galloped behind the king but he could feel the child stirring in his hands. It wasn't long before they finally arrived at the castle grounds near the front gate of the castle.

The castle was a large fortress built on top of a hill overlooking a cliff. The jagged edge met the ocean where waves crashed the wall of stone. The castle itself was a vision of brilliance, two towers stood on either side of an enormous wooden gate.

When they arrived inside the walls of the castle, King Jude was greeted several noblemen as he stepped down from his horse. Arcadios followed behind him, the boy still in hand.

"King Jude," one nobleman said as he approached the king. He had long black hair and beard. His skin was tan, and though he was of short stature, he had a very strong build. His eyes were dark and deceptive. He stood as a man of respect and authority but his smile would suggest that he was not to be trusted. "I am thankful to see you unharmed." He peered behind the king to see only Arcadios riding behind him. "And where are the other knights that rode out with you?"

"It is good to see you Iwan, my old friend. I am sorry to say that they have fallen," King Jude sighed, but Arcadios could hear the lack of sympathy in the king's voice.

Of course they expected some casualties, and perhaps he should have been thankful that at least he and his majesty were able to make it back unscathed, but still the king didn't seem the least bit upset at the loss of his men. He decided not to dwell on it too much, but instead turned his attention back to the child. He was still asleep, nestled in the man's arm.

"What is it you have there, Sir Arcadios?" the Iwan asked as he approached the young knight.

"A child," King Jude answered before Arcadios got the chance. "A Draconan child."

"Interesting," Iwan answered. He wasn't the only one that grew some interest as the others began to surround Acradios to get a glimpse of the boy.

Though Arcadios was more concerned with keeping the child from Iwan. He didn't like the air that the man had. He dressed in robes of black and lavender outlines. He had his hands covered in rings to exemplify his wealth. Iwan was a count, but he did not get there by any honorable means. Arcadios had heard rumors about Iwan that stirred some concern in him. The one thing he had to make sure was that Iwan did not get his hands on the child.

"Is it a dragon?" a lady asked as she stepped closer.

Arcadios came back to attention as he realized that there were several noblemen and women around him now.

"No," King Jude answered as a servant walked over to unlace his gauntlets. "At least not at the moment." The crowd became confused at his words. "At least not at the moment. He was a dragon before we had slain the mother, but then he turned back into a human child."

"And what are you to do with him?" asked Iwan as Arcadios leapt down from his horse and passed by the other nobles.

"Send him to the slave chamber with the other slaves," King Jude ordered. Arcadios was a little taken back by his own king's order.

"I thought you wanted the boy for a purpose?" Arcadios asked in disbelief.

"He will have a purpose," King Jude answered as he made his way towards Arcadios. "Perhaps we can find a way to make the dragon work for us," he said as he pulled aside the cloth that covered the child's face. "Just think about it? A dragon in our ranks, nobody would be able to defeat us. We would be unstoppable."

Arcadios could see the glimmer of greed in King Jude's eyes. There was something in the man's eyes that made him uneasy. He may have been young, and even with his recent admission to the ranks of knighthood but he remembered that it was only just a short while ago that King Jude's father had invaded the Draconans. Even when he was younger King Jude's father was known for being a man with a unquenchable hunger for power and wealth. He was the man who originally started the attacks on the people before other kingdoms grew envious of the riches he was stealing.

Arcadios had hoped that Jude would not be the same as his father, but with that glimpse in the man's eyes he could see that same hunger, that same lust.

The boy flailed a bit the young knight's arms as the infant's small arm fell out of the blanket. Inscribed in black ink was the word _Natsu_.

"Natsu eh?" the king said as he threw the cloth back over the infant. "Put him with the slaves," King Jude ordered.

"What? Why?" Arcadios asked.

"He is a Draconan," King Jude answered as he began to walk away. "He should be put with the rest of his kind."

"Yes sir," Arcadios said as he held the boy in his arms. He was reluctant, but he was not about to disobey a direct order from his king.

It was from then on the boy's fate was determined. He was raised as a slave, while being trained in the art of combat. King Jude had hoped that the boy would one day be compelled to join the ranks of the military. Much to King Jude's surprise the boy grew to become incredibly powerful, far stronger than any man. The boy seemed to posses the strength of a dragon but he was never able to transform.

Natsu was only five when his training begun. But even then he was a level that was far more mature for his age. King Jude had ordered Natsu into a ring with four soldiers. It was just a typical day for Natsu. He stood there in the center of the ring in the training square outside the courtyard of castle grounds. To be fair to the child they had removed their armor and were only given wooden swords to fight with. Each man stood on either side of the child, except for two in the back. King Jude watched from a balcony above with the other noblemen including Iwan and a little girl with long blonde hair that was about the same age as Natsu.

Once the signal was given a man from behind charged at the young kid from behind. Natsu could hear the sound of the man's footsteps on the rubble. As soon as the man was behind him, he swung the wooden sword down at the boy's head. Natsu ducked his head, sensing the on coming blow letting the wooden sword pass over his head. He jumped into the air where he landed on the soldier's back. As the man tried to throw the boy from his back two other men rushed in from either side.

Natsu could sense the man on the right was closer and waited for the swing of his sword to come down before he leapt down, causing the man with the sword to strike his comrade and knock him to the ground with a loud yelp. The same man spun around bringing the sword towards the boy's face where he took a step back letting the piece of wood graze the tip of his nose. The boy stepped in punched the man square in the groin causing him to drop the sword as the clutched at the sport of the strike and toppled over in pain.

Natsu could sense the third man coming down on him. Natsu dropped down to the ground and rolled towards the dropped sword. The first man picked himself up from the ground as the second man still writhed in pain. Natsu picked up the weapon and was just in time to parry the third man's blow, and in one swift motion he leapt up, swinging the sword in his own hand and struck the third man in the cheek. He dealt a painful blow as blood ejected from the man's mouth as he collapsed to the ground.

Just then Natsu sense a man coming from behind him. He spun around swinging his sword meeting the wood of the fourth and final opponent. What he missed was the first opponent as he felt a bear hug grab him from behind and lift him up in the air. The fourth man came brought the sword barreling down, but was surprised as Natsu kicked it to the side just before he was hit. After that he flipped backwards, his arms still tied, but he was able to do it with such force that he brought his opponent with him and they both fell to the ground. Natsu was able to place his hands underneath him to catch himself.

Natsu leapt up to his feet, the first man turning to regain himself. Natsu grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and slammed the back of his head into the ground. He repeated the process three times before he sense the fourth man coming from behind him. He rolled away before the man could strike him with the wooden sword. He ran over to where another sword on the ground lay, sliding across the rubble grabbing it as he slid by.

Once he had it he stood up facing his final opponent. The man ran at him, swinging the sword down with great fore. Natsu stepped to the side dodging it. Though the man used the momentum to let it carry his body as he brought it back up with an upwards swing. Natsu used his sword to block the oncoming blow. He felt his sense causing everything to go slower. He could see the man's movements become sluggish, but not because he was tired, but it had the appearance of though he were fighting in water. He watched as his opponent's sword pass by him, and in one swift movement he brought up his sword, striking the man in the nose knocking him into the air.

For one so young there was an unusual strength to the boy, so much so that he sent the man a foot into the air before he fell back to the ground with a loud thud. Natsu took a couple of deep breaths as he peered around the grounds seeing that all of his opponents were either immobile or unable to fight any longer.

"Impressive," Iwan said as he raised an eyebrow, grinning widely. "The boy shows an extraordinary amount of strength and poise. His reflexes and the way he counters is well beyond the limits of not only a child, but even that of an adult. Perhaps it is just the power of the dragon that resides in the boy?"

"Indeed, Master Iwan," King Jude answered. He had to admit, even he was impressed by the boy's performance. "What do you think Lucy?" King Jude said addressing the little blonde girl next to him.

"Is he a dragon?" she asked gazing up at her father.

"He is something like that," King Jude answered. "He is a Draconan child, and maybe one day he will be."

The blonde looked disappointed as she peered back down at the pink haired boy. Natsu in turn looked back up at the people watching him from the balcony. He was drenched with sweat breathing heavily. Though above all else his eyes fell on the blonde girl, their eyes meeting with one another.

He lost in her gaze, her eyes a deep chestnut brown. She had long flowing blonde hair, like strands of gold silk. Her skin was a pale milky white. She wore a baby blue suede dress that glistened in the sunlight, along with her skin that made her glow. Natsu could feel his heart beat even faster now as he gazed up her. He saw that she was smiling at him. A comforting smile that he couldn't help but return.

"I like him," the blonde told her father as she grinned widely at Natsu.

"I see," King Jude said as he gazed back at Natsu. He began to scowl as he peered back down at the pink haired boy beneath. He could see that Natsu and Lucy were still exchanging glances.

Arcadios watched from afar, behind a pillar as to stay out of view from the nobles above. He kept his distance and stayed in the shadows waiting near the entryway of the training facility. He was a little disheartened to see the boy forced to fight. His gaze turned back up to the balcony where the nobles watched in interest. He shook his head and slid back into the castle walls.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The King's Dog

Natsu may have been just a five year old, but he was still put through extensive training. It was tiring, and he was often pushed to the point of collapse. He didn't understand why the king was so persistent that he go through it when none of the other boys his age had to. Wat made it worse, was that the other slaves hated him for it. They hardly talked to him, and they often shunned him leaving him alone most of the time.

He would often pass his free time sitting on the top of one of the guard towers and watch people as they moved in and out of the city, but he kept most of his attention on what was going on in the town square. Venders and merchants were busy selling and trading goods, and sometimes, if he was lucky, there would be some strange item from a distant land. He often dreamt of what it would be like to travel outside of the city walls, but since he was a slave he was forbidden to leave.

The square was rather large, venders and travelers that lined up every side of the crowded road. Carts of hay were dragged by horses and driven by grumpy old men that smothered their own bodies with slimy blankets and rags. Children ran to and fro kicking a ball down the street, occasionally pushing each other, a small husky barked as it played along. Women shaking blankets clean outside of their windows. Slaves stood by their masters, some cleaning, some carrying large crates, while others attended to animals such as goats and cows.

Natsu knew the difference between the slaves and the regular citizens. Slaves wore collars around their necks, and dressed in dirty rags that were hardly ever clean. For a slave they would have to hope that their masters were generous enough to let them wash their clothes or give them new rags. Though it would often just be the family's old clothes and worn out rags.

Unlike the other slaves Natsu was often free to roam about the castle grounds and through the streets, but only after his training was complete. Perhaps that is why most of the other slaves detested him. He was too young to understand, and maybe when he grew older he would. For now, he would let his body rest as his eyes wondered amongst the many visitors to the castle. As he did so he pulled a small green apple from a pocket of his jacket and began to nibble on it.

While sitting there he noticed the gates to the castle itself opened, as King Jude walked through with Iwan and several other noblemen at his side. Though that's not what caught Natsu's interest. What really stirred him was the little blonde girl that rode next the king. Her long radiant honey hair flowed down her back, draping the shoulders of a dress as bright and pure as the untouched snow on top of the mountainside.

The sight of the king arose everyone's attention as the people stepped aside to clear a path for him and the men he rode with, bowing as the did so. Natsu grew a little edgy as he stood up as well. He rushed down the corridor towards the stairwell, hoping to catch the king and the others before they were off. But mainly it was to get a chance to get a better glimpse of Princess Lucy. Or maybe he would get a chance to say hello.

As he made his way down the stairway, he nearly leapt down each step. He came around a corner and bumped into three men who were making their way up the tower. Natsu fell down onto the step knocking the man in front down, but he was caught by the other two men behind him.

"Sorry," Natsu apologized as he picked himself up.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the king's dog," the man snickered. The other two men laughed at the remark.

Natsu peered up and noticed that the three men were slaves as well. They weren't Draconans like himself, they were of a different race. Their hair was long and curly, brown as the mud in the wet streets. Their eyes were stagnant and yellow. Their skin a deep olive color. Men who looked like they were from the somewhere with beaches and sun, not the cold winters that plagued the northern forests where they lived now.

"I am no dog," Natsu growled at them. "Now if you'll excuse me I have somewhere I need to be."

Natsu attempted to bypass the slaves but he was grabbed and pushed back. The force of the push was enough to cause him to trip over one of the steps and fall back down.

"Where does the king's bitch think he's going?" the first man said tauntingly. Natsu glared up at him with fierce eyes holding back the anger brewing up inside of him. "Going to beg your master for another treat? Maybe if you bark loud enough, and perform some more tricks for him he'll let you eat some scraps from his table?"

Natsu became infuriated as he pounced at the man, grasping him by the throat. The man was taken back, not expecting the boy to lunge at him so drastically and suddenly. The shove caused Natsu and the man to topple down the stairway. One of the men stepped to the side, pressing his body up against the wall. The second man was hit by the falling man, but grasped onto the railing to keep him from falling.

Natsu and the other slave fell hard on each step, their bodies being tossed around, their bodies hitting the stoned walls and steps. Natsu felt his head slam against one of the steps as they plunged further and further down. Eventually they hit the bottom floor, Natsu bouncing on top of the other slave and eventually rolling over the man's body. Natsu was surprised that he felt little pain throughout his body, but his head ached terribly and he noticed that his vision had become blurry. He felt a warm sensation leak down the back of his head. When he reached up to touch he gazed at a hand that was covered in blood.

"You little shit," the slave moaned in pain as he twitched on the floor. Natsu on the other hand was able to pick himself up, but he could hear the loud clamor of footsteps echo through the stairwell as the other two slaves made their way down. "I'm going to wring your fucking neck," the first slave said as he finally managed to pick himself up to his knees, but his body was still battered.

Natsu didn't say anything back to the man he just turned for the doorway to escape. His head was throbbing, and he could feel that he wasn't right. He couldn't sense his surroundings like he normally would, and staggered forward. Unfortunately he didn't get far before he as grabbed from behind by one of the other slaves.

"And where does the king's bitch think he's going?" the man said as he threw Natsu against the wall. The other slave helped the man that was on the ground back up to his feet.

"Hey, why don't you leave the boy be?" an elderly man said as he stepped forward. He was a hunched back slave with skin as thick as leather and a few strands of gray hair jetting from the back and sides of his head with a scraggly beard to match. His eyes were dull cesspools of grimy gray. He was as pale as a ghost and just as close to the grave. He carried himself with a walking stick.

"Stay out of this Draconan," the man growled. "Unless of course you want to fight yourself?"

"I am sorry," the old man muttered with a heavy breath, "but I well beyond my youth to get involved in conflict."

"Of course you are," the other slave taunted, still grasping Natsu tightly by the throat. "You and your entire worthless race were the biggest cowards there were. It's not wonder you got whipped out on a whim and sold into slavery."

"Are you not a slave yourself young lad?" the old man sighed.

"I am a prisoner of war, captured after I suffered an injury to my back. I fought hard and with much pride for my country, though I cannot say the same for you."

"My people had no need for war young one," the old said. "My people became prosperous on good trade and education. We had no need for the weapons of war, only the weapons of knowledge. Is there much pride in taking another man's life who is no different than you?"

Natsu noticed the man's grip loosen on his throat. He was able to take in some fresh air but he was still held on tightly by the other slave. He turned to look at the old man who exchanged a gaze at him and a slight smile. Natsu had no idea that the man was actually using the conversation as a distraction, and hoped the boy would not struggle too much less the draw the attention of his attackers.

"Say what you will about you and your cowardly, pathetic race," the slave growled spitting at the old man. "Me and my brothers in arms would not be so ill contempt to allow our people to be slaughtered like dogs simply because of some useless principles."

"Shut up!" Natsu yelled as he kicked the man in the groin causing him to lose his grip and fall to his knees. Natsu took the opportunity to swing his arm in for a punch to the face sending the man to the floor.

"Get him!" the slave who had fallen down the stairs with Natsu yelled. He teetered forward as the third slave ran at him. Natsu couldn't sense the man's approach, something really was wrong with his head.

Natsu ran towards the exit and out to the castle grounds. He stumbled forward and tripped over a rock that was lying near the doorway. He tried to keep his balance, but eventually he fell to his stomach onto the ground. He heard the sound of the three slaves rushing towards him, but that wasn't all; a horse's wail.

When Natsu looked up he saw the three slaves come to a sliding halt, a look of sheer terror in their eyes. Natsu then heard the sound of hoof beats and murmurs. He turned his head to see King Jude, Princess Lucy and the nobles standing still on their horses peering down at him. Natsu gulped but he did not move. His eyes fell onto the young blonde girl feeling embarrassed.

"What is going on here?" King Jude demanded as his eyes fell on both Natsu and the other slaves. "Why are these men chasing this child?"

"My Lord," the first slave said, a tone of freight in his voice, "this child attacked me and my brethren in the staircase."

"You allowed a child to bully you around?" Iwan said raising an eyebrow. "You? Soldiers of the Southern Peninsula? Well then it's no wonder that you were so easily captured by the King's army."

The men glared at him but said nothing.

"Pick yourself up child," Iwan ordered. Natsu did as he said and stood to his feet. He kept his eyes down, not daring make eye contact with any of the nobles.

"What is the meaning of this?" King Jude demanded. "Guards arrest these men for causing a commotion. For the love of the Gods can I not even venture to a neighboring country without some rabble breaking out? Natsu, I am disappointed in you."

Lucy gazed at her father with shock and an expression that revealed that she believed her father to act so brash to the young boy. Natsu felt incredibly embarrassed and ashamed. For the king to speak of him in such a way was humiliating. He could feel the stares of hundreds of eyes on him, and even worse shaking heads with glances of disappointment.

"Now, now, my Lord," Iwan interjected. "The boy might not have done anything wrong. We know that this slave in particular is always well behaved."

"Like a dog," the first slave scoffed. Natsu glared back up at him with a spiteful gaze.

"So I propose a solution to this endeavor," Iwan continued.

"And that would be?" King Jude asked raising an eyebrow.

"Let the slaves finish their quarrel," Iwan answered. "Would the town not enjoy some free entertainment at the behest of their king?"

The crowd cheered at the suggestion as Iwan threw his hands in the air to encourage them. The other nobles scowled in displeasure and disagreement. They did not feel it necessary to have the boy fight with three other slaves. Other on lookers were bewildered that a noble would even suggest that a child fight three men. They thought it would be such a joke, but many others cheered regardless. A fight would probably be the most interesting thing they would see all day, regardless if it was a child or not.

"Father no," Lucy pleaded. She could see some blood oozing down the back of the boy's neck. "He's injured, it would be dangerous to have him fight."

"I did not know you cared so much for a slave my dear," King Jude said displeased. He sighed taking a deep breath, looking back that the nobles and then to Iwan. "Very well," he finally said. "We will let the slaves exact their own punishment. And give these good people a show worth watching."

"My lord please he is not but a child," the old slave interjected. "And these three men are prisoners of war, soldiers who fought on the battlefront. To have him fight them would be leaving a sheep to the slaughter."

"Silence you tongue slave!" Iwan ordered. "The boy will fight as the king has instructed. Now Natsu go on," he said waving his hand, "prove yourself."

The boy nodded his head as he turned back to face the three slaves. They were hesitant at first, but when they saw that they were given the go ahead by the king and his company they moved towards the boy. Natsu took a step back, his vision still blurry, and his senses were still awry. He was actually starting to become a little afraid.

The first slave ran at him, and to Natsu's surprise his vision didn't pick it up, and before he knew it the man had him by the throat up in the air. A gasp of horror could be heard from the surrounding crowd. Natsu felt the man's grip tighten as the slave turned to king to make sure that it was okay for him to proceed. Lucy looked at her father in desperation but said nothing. King Jude nodded at the man allowing him to continue.

"Well dog," he hissed through a sinister smirk, "looks like your master has left you out to the wolves."

Natsu struggled under the man's hand as he could feel himself suffocate underneath it. The man raised his fist ready to strike the young child. As he did Natsu could feel a surging burn radiate from the pit of his stomach. Soon it made it's way up to his chest and then his throat. Natsu thought that maybe he was going to vomit, or burp. It may have only been half a second, but for Natsu it could have been minutes. He felt the burning in his eyes, as his vision began to slit.

Then as soon as the slave's hand was coming down for a punch, Natsu opened his mouth wide, and out burst a roaring flame directly into his opponent's face. The man screamed in torment as he let the boy go, causing him to fall flat onto the ground. The slave fell to the ground in agony, grasping at his now charcoaled face. The other two slaves took a step back and watched their friend squirm. They weren't the only ones, everyone in the crowd was stunned by what had just happened.

Natsu watched as the man wailed and flailed about in pain. He was frightened, more so than anybody else. He didn't know or understand what had just happened. He breathed deeply, peering back at the king to see him and his company with their mouths agape. For a few moments no one said anything. The two men just stood there shocked, as Natsu had made an effort to stand back up.

"Well?" Iwan said in annoyance. His eyes fell on the other two slaves as they in turn gazed back at him with worry in their eyes. "What are you two waiting for? This fight has only just begun. I thought you warriors of the south would be able to handle a mere child. Are you just going to let him scold your brethren and not do anything about it? Come on then, these people expect a good fight. "

They exchanged glances with one another, but neither was willing to attack the child. They were hesitant as one of them finally stepped forward, but was weary.

"Well then go on boy," Iwan called out. "You just going to sit there and let these men harass you?"

Natsu peered up at him too frightened to move. It wasn't that he didn't want to fight anymore he just hadn't gotten over the fire breathing stunt he just did. Then again no one had. The king and other nobles were still in awe, all except Princess Lucy who stared at him with worry. His eyes fell upon hers, as they met once more. He blushed turning to face the other two slaves. One of them inched his way forward but made no attempt to rush at him. Natsu knew he had to continue fighting.

The other slave was within feet but he wouldn't go any further. He kept flinching every time he wanted to get closer. He was just out of the reach of Natsu's flame, or at least he thought he was.

"For crying out loud, is a former soldier really that afraid of a child?" Iwan taunted. "Get him!"

The slave was reluctant but he rushed at Natsu. Once more the boy felt the surge of burning flame radiate through his abdominal. His vision began to slit once more as his mind went blank. It was over in a flash, when he came to he realized that the other slave was bent over him, gasping for air, the sounds of a woman's shrill burst from the crowd while everyone else went silent.

Natsu looked up to see his hand in the gut of the slave, blood began to trickle down his forearm as the man continued to gag. Startled Natsu retracted his hand seeing it caked in blood, but the wound in the slave didn't appear that deep. His fingernails had apparently turned into claws, if not for just a second before retracting back to normal. Natsu looked back at the slave he had struck, blood poured from the wound, and the slave grasping at it to cover it, but he didn't go down.

"You little shit," he cursed under his breath. He was infuriated now. "I'll kill you!" The man roared as he charged at the young boy.

Natsu felt it come again, the burn, except this time it felt more natural, more in tune with his sense. It felt good. He felt his vision slit again as the man came closer to him. He swung his fist at him. Natsu grabbed him by the swinging arm and hurtled him through the air. The man was sent flying towards the crowd, the people ducked out of the way or moved aside as the slave barreled into a market table, shattering it to splinters.

"Since when has the boy been able to breathe fire and turn his hands into claws?" King Jude asked out loud as he continued to watch the boy.

"The boy is still young my Lord," Iwan said to him. "You knew just how special the child was when you brought him back from the mountains. I believe we have yet to see all the gifts he posses."

Natsu felt the surge of power overwhelm him again as he turned to the third and final slave. The man backed up, not willing to fight any longer. Natsu could feel the power overwhelm him as his mind went blank. The finally slave was far too afraid to proceed with the fight. He began to take a step back as he saw the boy's eyes turn into a deep amber color. Natsu's skin even began to grow scales, his hands transformed into claws and his teeth into fangs.

"He really is a monster!" a woman shrieked.

"Well what are you waiting for slave?" Iwan addressed the final slave. "The boy is just standing there. Do something."

"Iwan you cannot be serious?" King Jude interjected. "That man stands no chance against the son of a dragon. It's suicide. The battle has already proven to be in the favor of Natsu. It was over the second Natsu turned into a savage beast. Anymore and the man will be killed, if the other two haven't been already."

"My Lord," Iwan answered, "these men were willing to gain up on the boy three to one. These cowards decided their fate the second they were willing to go after what they thought was a helpless child. I say let them suffer their crimes at the hand of whom they have wronged."

King Jude said nothing further but turned his attention back to the scuffle. He could see the madness in the boy's eyes as he took a step towards the last man.

"Father," Princess Lucy interjected grabbing onto King Jude's sleeve. "Father please make them stop."

"I am sorry my dear," the king sighed. "But Lord Iwan is right. I have already given the by my permission to fight, and the slaves permission to exact their own punishment on him. The fight will finish out."

"But father—"

"No buts!" King Jude shouted. Lucy complied with her father's demand, her attention falling back on the pink haired slave in front of her. He wasn't the same boy she had seen before. This was someone completely different then the one she was used to seeing train in the arena.

The final slave decided that it was best not to fight. In panic the man bolted for the main gate. Natsu chased after him with great speed. Before the slave even had a chance to escape, Natsu pounced into the air onto of the man. The slave rolled to his back in attempt to throw the boy off, but Natsu sank his claws into the man's hip. The man cried out in pain as Natsu raised his hand into the air and swung it down slashing the man's chest.

"Natsu!" King Jude called out. The boy came to an abrupt halt, but he peered down at his prey with eyes demanding blood. "That's enough, the fight is over. Stay your hand."

Natsu didn't comply at first as he scathed the man one more time with his claws coming dangerously close to the slave's throat. The man attempted to swat the boy off of him, but Natsu bit it, sinking his fangs deep into the man's flesh. His mouth filled with blood. He liked the taste and only sunk his teeth deeper into the hand.

"Natsu!" he heard a young girl call out his name. He came to an abrupt halt and let the hand fall from his mouth. "Natsu please stop," the girl wept. "Please."

In that moment Natsu felt his claws retract back into normal fingers once more. The scales that had aligned his body faded into his skin, as did his amber eyes. He sat on top of the defeated man looking into his terror-ridden eyes. He sighed as he stood up to his feet, the pain in his head had all but vanished and his vision was clear once more. He felt his heart beat in his chest and the burning from the pit of his gut was gone. He was back to normal. It was strange but he could have sworn the wound on the back of his head had healed.

His gaze fell back to the three slaves he had just fought. The man beneath him clutched at the gaping wounds on his hips and torso; a pool of blood formed around his body. The slave he had hurtled into the table lied still underneath shards of table and broken pots. No one dared touch him or even go near him. The man he had burned was now lying still, but he could see he was still breathing as his chest moved up and down. But he kept his face covered with his hands.

"He really is a monster," a woman shrieked.

"He is a demon possessed!" another man called out. "He should be hung before he kills us all!" A roar of agreement came from the crowd. Natsu flinched as he heard their cheer.

"ENOUGH!" roared the king as the crowd went immediately silent. "The boy is my slave and no harm will befall him. If any man here is to even touch the boy I will have him hung by his entrails and left to feed the crows. Is that understood?"

The king glared at the now silent crowd. No one dare protest against him.

"Well done young slave," Iwan said as he rode up to the boy. Natsu said nothing to him, he was far too ashamed of what he had done. "I congratulate you on a job well done. Shall we be off your majesty? We are already running late."

"Of course," King Jude answered as he kicked his horse to get it to move. The rest of the company followed him, the crowd returned to their chores.

"And as for you young slave," Iwan said with a smirk, "I will be observing you progress with great interest."

Natsu stood there in silence, still peering down at the suffering man. He could hear the footsteps of the horses walk on by from behind him. He kept his head down in shame, not daring to look at anyone. He could hear the horse's wail and felt the cold of the king's shadow over him. Natsu could sense something coming but he knew better than to react to it. The king struck the boy in the back with a whip, causing Natsu to cry out in pain as he fell to the ground.

"If you ever disobey my orders again _slave_," the word slid of his tongue like poison, "I'll have you gutted. Is that understood?"

"Yes Sire," Natsu exhaled though teeth, his back still aching from the pain.

"Good," the king growled as he continued to trot on. "Remember it."

With that the king led his horse to the main gate. The other nobles of the company followed behind him. Iwan was quick to catch up to the king as he rode beside him.

"I think you were too hard on the boy," Iwan said as they rode out of the gate. "He was only fighting as instructed."

"He disobeyed me when I instructed him to cease his fighting," King Jude grumbled. "He's lucky I didn't take his head."

"But he did listen my Lord," Iwan said in disagreement. "Or at least he listened to some member of the royal family. Did he not stop at the request of the young Princess Lucy?"

Iwan smirked at the king, a deceptive one that made the young princess tremble in her saddle. King Jude scowled at him, though he had to admit the nobleman was right.

"Perhaps it would be better served if you gave the slave over to Lucy," Iwan suggested.

"And why would I want that savage beast anywhere near my daughter?" King Jude asked; his scowl growing even more fierce.

"You saw it as well as any of us," Iwan said. "He listens to her, so why not let the beauty control the beast. Plus she already said she like him." He could see the king's glare hardening on him. "And what's not to like? The boy is strong and powerful beyond any slave in this or any kingdom. What do you say young Princess?" Iwan turned to her, a wide grin across his cheeks. "How would you like to have a slave of your own?"

The girl looked up the nobleman with weary eyes. She said nothing, and remained quiet. Her eyes fell to the mane of her horse, she bit her lip shut to make sure that she did not utter a word. She did not want to have any business with that man, nor did she want to talk about slaves.

"All the boy demonstrated was that he lacks restraint," King Jude grumbled. "Maybe if he shows some more control then I will consider it. Until then the boy will remain in my care and serve in the manner I find most suitable. He is given more leave than any other slave in the kingdom. He should be content where he is now."

"Well then I guess you'll just have to wait my Lady," Iwan said to the young girl. "But in due time all good things come. In due time."

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your kind reviews and remarks. I am happy to know so many people are enjoying this, and I promise that I will update as soon as possible.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The Mystery Men

After the quarrel in the town center most people took to avoiding Natsu now. Two weeks had passed and in that time not one person outside of his overseers spoke to him. If he thought he was unpopular before, he was not completely avoidable. Men, women and children were cautious around him, especially the slaves. Natsu knew not of the fate of the men that he had attacked, whether they were alive or dead had did not know. They weren't dead when he left them and he hoped that is how it had remained.

The practice was slower as the men who he was supposed to be fighting were hesitant to attack him. Even though Natsu had not felt the burning urge since that day, and he had no idea how he got there in the first place, nobody would attack at full force against him. Soon King Jude began to grow impatient with the lack of productivity. Iwan on the other hand offered a suggestion to the king.

Natsu made his way down the town road to the main gate. He wore a hood to hide his face so people would not know that it was him. He could still hear their whispers of people talking about what a monster he was, or that he was a demon. After he arrived at the tower he walked up to the top where he sat in his same spot to watch people like he normally did. He hugged his knees to his chest beginning to sob. He wanted someone to talk to, someone to say hello to him. He didn't want people to be afraid of him anymore.

"How are you doing today young one?" Natsu heard an elderly voice say behind him. He noticed that it was the same old man from that same day he was attacked. Natsu whipped his eyes with his sleeve before turning away.

"What do you want?" Natsu asked as he sulked back into his knees.

"You look like someone who needs a friend to talk to," the elderly man said as he took a seat next to the young boy. "Why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

"Nobody wants to talk to me, or have anything to do with me," Natsu quipped through his knees. "I'm tired of people thinking I'm some kind of monster. I'm not a monster! Why does everyone hate me?"

"People are often frightened by that which they do not understand," the old man said as he wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulders. "After watching what you did to those other slaves, people have become concerned. I can't say that I blame them, seeing as how you ravished those poor slaves to the point of death."

"So why are you talking to me?" Natsu asked coldly.

"Because I don't see that in you," the old man said. "I see you as a misunderstood child who seeks comfort from someone. A child forced into a life that he did not want, nor would ever wish to live. You are forced to live a life that no other man or slave in this kingdom does. I know that they have you waking up at dawn everyday for special training, which leads me to believe that they knew exactly what you were when they brought you here."

"And what am I?" Natsu asked as he turned to the old man.

"A Draconan," the old man said softly offering the boy a comforting grin. "You are a son of our people; noble and proud. We come from a rich country full of splendors beyond imagination."

"I'm not just a Dracona," Natsu whispered. "I'm something else. None of the other Draconan slaves have the same powers as me. I'm the only one that breaths fire and has claws."

"Is that so?" the old man said grabbing Natsu's hand.

"What are you doing?" the boy groaned.

"I don't see no claws on your hand," he said examining the boy's fingers. "Do you?"

Natsu ripped his hand away from the old man. He did not care for his kind words or his attempts to be friendly. He knew what he was and he didn't need the old man to act so sentimental towards him. Which was strange, he had only wished that someone would at least talk to him, or acknowledge him outside of his overseers every day for the past two weeks. Now he just felt like he wanted to be left alone.

"They aren't there now," Natsu muttered as he continue to sulk. "But they were there before. I've heard people talking about me being cursed."

"Oh my boy," the old man sighed, "our fate truly is a cruel one. It seems that all Draconans are cursed in one way or the other."

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked him.

"Do you not know of the Great Wizard's Betrayal of the Draconan people?" the old man asked him raising an eyebrow.

"No," Natsu told him. "I know nothing of my people," he sulked further into depression. "All I know is that I belong to their race, and that is all."

"I see," the old man breathed with a deep breath. "Well you see boy," the old man began, "our people once lived in a prosperous land full of great wealth and treasures from all over the world. Our trade was craft and the arts." Natsu watched the old man as he seemed to fall into his memories. His eyes went bright as he reminisced about the past. He took in a deep breath before he continued his story. "Our people prized knowledge and arts above all else."

"But what happened to them?" Natsu asked impatiently.

"One day our people were attacked by none other than King Jude's own father Darious," the old told him bluntly. His expression darkened as he sagged a bit over his walking stick. "After he began he sacked Boga other kingdoms began to worry. Our people called out for help from any of our neighboring countries, but when they saw the opportunity to plunder our lands for themselves, they attacked us. We had a small militia, but there was no way we could defend ourselves from the onslaught the ensued. Nobody would help us, greed was the only thing that compelled the minds of those we once called friends."

"Did they all die?" Natsu asked the elderly man. "Did they slaughter all our people?"

"No," the old man shook his head. "No, they took many of us as slaves. Families were torn apart, sons and daughters taken to one kingdom while the fathers and mothers were taken to another."

"And what of my parent's?" Natsu asked more than eagerly. "What happened to them?"

"I am sorry boy," the old man said apologetically, as he patted the child on the back. "I do not know." He tried to comfort him, but his words only seemed to make the boy sulk some more. "I knew not your parents my child, and many of our people were taken to different lands. Though it is likely that they were not taken in as slaves, many of our people escaped that cursed fate."

"Really?" Natsu jumped in eagerness at the news. His mind flooded with thoughts of his parents potentially coming and taking back home with them. He imagined being free from his collar and not having to wake up early in the morning to do extensive training and chores. "Do you think that they're back home waiting for me?"

The old man face saddened a bit more. The sight of it immediately whipped the small smile Natsu had for a short while.

"Sadly no," the old man answered. "I was not among them personally at the time since I had been captured during the first wave of the attacks and was sold into slavery before all that. But I managed to overhear the news from soldiers awhile back. But you see, in our people's desperation they called upon the help of a great wizard. They that he give them the ability to protect their homes. And it was at his hands they were cursed, transformed into wicked beasts."

"And did that happen to me?" Natsu asked. "Was I turned into one of these beasts as well?"

"I'm afraid I do not know child," the old man told him. "Perhaps, but no one who was not captured during the raids of our land had the curse set upon them. I think it was only those that had escaped and were still in the country that were cursed. But I do remember the king bringing you back the night he went out to slay a dragon during the night."

"So the king brought me back from our land?" Natsu asked.

"Yes," the old man told him. "But you were not a dragon when he brought you back, you were the infant son of a man. I should know, I was a working with the watchmen that night. I remember," the old man began to gesture his hand as if to summon the memory, "I remember Aracdios arriving with the king, and in his arms he held a baby. It was difficult to see with all the nobles surrounding to get a better look, and though the sun had just arisen, I could just get a glimpse of the child."

"So that child was . . . me?" Natsu asked.

"Yes," the said with a deep breath, "I do believe so."

"But why me?" Natsu said out loud to himself. "Why bring me back?"

"I don't know," the old man softly. "What is it that they have you do? You are a slave, but every mid-day I see you running about the town with much more leniency than any other slave in town."

"They just have me wake up everyday around dawn, and then they take me to the arena to train," Natsu told him.

"And what kind of training do they have you do?" the old man asked. He was growing quite interested now.

"They usually just have me practice fighting. Normally with a group of soldiers that are just there to beat me up," he said. "They don't really teach me anything, just make me fight for hours on end. I don't know why they do it, but I usually win every fight," Natsu smiled as he uttered the last sentence. He was quite proud of himself.

"That's very interesting," the old man said combing his beard. "I wonder what exactly the king is trying to prepare you for?"

The two of them sat there on the top of the gate and continued to watch people as they passed by. The man told Natsu old stories from their homeland, and even more about when he was a child himself. Natsu wanted to know more about his homeland. What kinds of people they were, what the often did, what they did for entertainment. The old man was more than happy to tell Natsu all these things, and for a good hour the two of them enjoyed one another's company.

All the while there was one man who was watching the two of them from afar, a man who concealed himself in the shadows. He wore a deep brown cloak with a hood to keep his face hidden from those around them. The man watched Natsu and the old man as they talked. After Natsu had told him about his training he immediately rushed down the stairwell and made his way to a tavern near the gates of the castle itself. There resided a tavern, to which he entered.

The place was a mess. Drunkards sat at the bar and tables around the room, dining on soggy and probably moldy bread while they washed it down with cheap ale. A fireplace sat near the corner of the room, but it was not lit, there was no need for it to be during the spring. Musicians with a lute and fiddle played a song as women served the patrons and danced along.

The mystery man just walked on by and made his way to a wooden staircase nudging his way through the drunken crowd. When he arrived to the top of the stairs he made his way down a deteriorating hallway to a room at the end of a corridor. Once there he knocked on the door.

"Come in," a voice called out. The man obliged and entered.

"My Lord," the man said as he entered the room bowing his head. "I have news."

After bowing his head the man looked back up, standing at attention. Inside the room was a large table with several men sitting around it. At the head of the table sat Iwan dinging on some beat and cheese. Behind him was a fireplace from which provided all the light in the room. The other men at the table were not nobles, they appeared to be no different than the same type of men as would be seen in the tavern below.

"What news is that, Kurohebi?" Iwan asked.

"The slave boy, Natsu, was talking to an elderly Draconan man at the main gate. He was telling him about his training exercises with the military," the man told him.

"Is that so?" Iwan said stroking his beard. "Well then we can't allow that to persist. Nobody is to know of the boy's training outside of the king and those he has entrusted the knowledge to. We can't allow our enemies to know of about the potential weapon we are preparing for future wars. If they did, we would be under siege in a matter of days."

"So what would you wish me to do Lord Dreyar?" Kurohebi asked.

"It is Lord Iwan here, Kurohebi," Iwan said to him. "Remember that."

"Yes my Lord," Kurohebi apologized, bowing his head in subtlety. "I forgot, please forgive me."

"There is no need to be so contrite," Iwan told him leaning forward in his chair and resting his chin on his hands. "Now I want you to listen to me very carefully. I want you to go to that old man when he leaves the boy and make sure he tells no one of what you've heard this day."

"Yes sir," Kurohebi said bowing his head before he turned around to leave. Once he had gone Iwan let out a deep breath and leaned back in his chair.

"Dreyer?" one of the other men asked. He noticed that everyone at the table had their eyes upon him now. Each of them were just as confused as the other as they gazed at him with curious eyes.

"I thought you said your name was Iwan?" asked another.

"My real name is Ivan Dreyer, but here I go by Iwan," he answered. "I don't want people to know of my real name."

"Why not?"

"That is information that I alone need to know," Iwan told them. "It is not something any of you need to concern yourselves with. I have my reasons why I go by a different title here in Konzern, and we shall leave it at that. Persist in it any further and I will have you all flogged, is that understood?" He glared at them with menacing eyes. No man in that room dare challenge his words. They simply nodded in agreement.

The next day Natsu was taken back to the training arena like he was every morning. Though this morning was not like the others. When he arrived there was no group of soldiers there waiting to fight with him nor any set up for exercises for him to practice on. Instead there waiting for him at the arena was a single man sitting back in a rickety old wooden chair reading a book.

He was a middle aged man, with long greasy orange hair and a rugged beard. His eyes were a foggy blue and distant, lost in his book but revealed that they had witnessed many things in the man's life. He was a tall man, broad shouldered and firm. He wore a tattered cloak over a thin layer of armor and leather pants. His boats were coated with filth that it was near impossible to tell what their original color must have once been. There was no sword on his hip, but there was a wooden sword leaning against the wall next to his chair.

Natsu figured that this man must have been a new instructor. It was a little weird because there were normally multiple men there to instruct him at once. Natsu peered around the arena to make sure that the two of them were the ones there. Perhaps more instructors would show up later, or maybe they were going to give him an easy day.

"You're Natsu I presume?" the man said raising his eyes from his book. He offered the boy a friendly smile. "Well I guess now is as good as time as any to get started. So how about you show me what you got?"

He stood up and placed the book down on the chair. He stretched out his back and cracked his neck. He rolled out his shoulders as he started walking towards the young child. Natsu began to become a little confused by now. Most of the people he fought were always coy around him, and were usually reluctant to spar with him, but this guy was different. And after his scuffle with the other slaves it seemed like nobody would be eager to train him.

Natsu was even more surprised that there were no formal introductions. He was just expected to jump right on into it, but he didn't mind. He would do the same things he did everyday.

"All right," Natsu said in anticipation. He didn't know why, but he felt excited to have somebody who was interested in a fight with him.

"Well come on then let's get started," Gildarts said waving his hands for Natsu to charge at him. The boy smiled as he sprinted at his instructor with full on force.

When he was within a few feet he leapt up into the air, fist drawn back ready to strike. The man simply smiled as he stepped to the side dodging the on coming blow. He then proceeded to grab the boy by the wrist that he was attempting to punch him with and flung the boy aside causing him to topple over and roll on the dirt.

"You're too brash," the man said with a smirk. "Don't rush into your opponents like that. You leave yourself vulnerable. You have no control over your energy. You focus all of it onto one point, which makes it easy for anyone to redirect it as I just did now. Have some more patience and think before you mindlessly charge your opponent," the man said tapping his own forehead.

Natsu got to his feet and rushed the man again. He swung his arm out wide, to which the man stepped in and caught him by the bicep. He did nothing more than step to the side and toss Natsu once more to the ground in one sweeping motion.

"You did it again," the man chuckled. "Don't swing your arm out so far, you leave your entire body exposed. Tuck your elbows in, don't let them bend out," the man said as he moved into a stance where he kept his elbows close to his body and his fists near his face. "You have to protect yourself at all times. And also, stop rushing in like a mad man. That's not going to get you anywhere."

Natsu growled as he leapt to his feet once more and ran at his opponent with once more. Only this time he had no attempt to punch him, but rather planned on tackling him by the legs. To his amazement the man just simply jumped over him, pushing the boy's head down as he did. Natsu fell face first into the dirt before sliding to a stop.

"Either you don't speak the common tongue, or you're deaf," the man sighed in annoyance. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop rushing in at your opponent like a mad man?"

Natsu growled as he picked himself up again. He turned around scowling bitterly at the other man. This time when he ran at the man with full force, but rather than swing he slid to a stop. He threw his fists at him with a barrage of the hands. The opponent took the first couple of blows and he was stunned by the amount of power the boy had behind his fists. Though he didn't let it continue on as he grabbed the boy by the scruff of his neck and threw him once more.

Natsu rolled over again. He wondered why his sense didn't seem to be working. Against any other opponent he would have been able to detect their movements but this man was different. He thought about it. He wondered if it could have been that the man was moving too fast, or perhaps he just assumed that they would kick in the moment the fight started. Then again this fight was unlike the ones he had before. Most of the time they attacked him, but then again he didn't have much of a choice since he hardly ever had to opportunity to throw his own blows.

"You have some strength in you, boy," the man said rubbing his plated chest. There seemed to be a couple of small dents, but he was impressed none the less. "But unfortunately that is not everything when it comes to a fight. You may think that power is what is necessary, but there are many other fundamentals. Power can be a useful ally when it comes to conflict, but it can also betray you if your opponent knows how to do it."

Natsu sat up and rubbed his nose. He eyed the man carefully looking for somewhere he could strike him. The man stood there perfectly still, upright and relaxed. Natsu felt like he was taunting him. Enraged the boy charged at the man with full force. He didn't care how he did it he just wanted to make sure that he got the man down one way of the other.

"Don't let your emotions get the best of you child," the man said as he stepped aside and pushed the boy to the ground again. "You're letting your rage blind you now. Control your emotions otherwise you'll not see your opponent's movements. Think before you charge. Take advantage of what your opponent gives you and then strike. Rushing in blindly like a madman is only going to get you killed."

"Damn it! Why can't I hit you?" Natsu cried out as he stood to his feet.

"Because you lack restraint," the old man sighed as he rubbed his forehead.

"Well then why don't you attack me?' Natsu snapped.

"Why?" his instructor asked raising an eyebrow. "What reason do I have to attack you?"

"Because this is a fight?" Natsu barked.

"When did this become a fight?" his instructor asked.

"When you told me to attack you," Natsu murmured.

"Really?" his instructor said rubbing his chin and thinking back on it. "As I remember I said, 'Show me what you got.' I don't think that necessarily means a fight now does it?"

"Well what else could it mean?" Natsu grumbled.

"Well it could mean a variation of things," the man said. "It could mean that you should have showed me how fast you could run, or how high you can jump. I never said the word fight in particular. You just assumed that's what I mean when I told you to show me what you got," he said pointing at the boy.

"Then why are you here?" Natsu growled as he sat down on the ground. "Also, you kept giving me fighting instructions."

"Actually they were more like suggestions on how not to get your ass kicked," the man chuckled. "And to answer your first question was that I was hired to mold you and teach you. Most of the men you've dealt with were just simple minded foot soldiers with no knowledge of true combat; men who would shutter at the sight of a child rather than teach him how to become a warrior. That is why I am here."

"I already know how to fight," Natsu grumbled as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Oh yes you demonstrated that very well just now," his instructor said sarcastically.

"Well if you attacked me than you would be the one on the ground embarrassed," Natsu pouted.

"Oh really is that so?" the instructor said raising an eyebrow. "And how do you figure that?"

"Because I've beaten everyone else like that," Natsu growled.

"All right, stand up," the man said motioning the boy to his feet. "I'll come at you and I'll see if you can throw me to the ground in an 'embarrassing' fashion as well."

Natsu grinned widely as he sprung up to his feet. He dusted himself off as he waited in anticipation. He could just imagine him throwing the bigger man to the ground while he stood there victoriously.

Just then the instructor ran at him, shoulder forward. Natsu watched, his sense tingling as he could feel the swing coming. His opponent became more fluid now, slow moving and Natsu could anticipate the fist coming. But as he watched and he began to move, attempting to dodge the blow. But just then his sense snapped as his opponent diverted his course, and in a swift motion he spun around on step and instead of his original fist coming in for the strike he raised his other fist and hit Natsu right on the temple knocking him over to the side.

Natsu fell to the ground in disbelief at what just happened. He peered back up at the man who stood there, hands on hips, smiling widely.

"Well it looks like you've completely beaten me young boy," his instructor taunted.

Natsu yelled as he got back up to his feet. He ran at his instructor trying to grab him by the legs. The instructor sighed as he grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt and threw him off. Natsu landed on his backside on verge of tears

"Come now," his instructor said scowling at him. He folded his arms over his chest, but when he saw how upset the boy was he just sighed and walked over and sat down right next to him. "Hey listen," he said wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulders trying to comfort him. "You're young and you're inexperienced," he said. "You have a lot to learn, and that's why I'm here. To teach you. You're not bad at all; you're just inexperienced."

"Okay," Natsu said whipping away his tears. His instructor smiled as he patted him on the back.

"Now, come on," his instructor said as he stood up and offered the boy his hand, "let's get to some real training."

"All right," Natsu said as he was pulled up to his feet. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Gildarts," the man answered with a wide grin. "Now come on dragon boy. We've got work to do."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Fine Dinning

The night after he had talked to the boy the old slave made his way to the slave quarters of the castle. There he served in the kitchen with some of the easier tasks. He was too old and frail to do any of the hard labor like the other slaves. His duties mainly required him to cook and clean, apart from that there wasn't much work for him. The kitchen itself was full of other slaves running through a large wooden door that led to the castle's dining room. It was mostly women slaves that carried the food, while men cooked. Those who were too young or too old either cleaned or worked the fires.

The old man took his place near the pantry with a bucket of water and a mop. He didn't mind the cleaning work, it was simple and easy going. His boney hands had a little trouble holding the mop but it was still something that he could do. He just mopped making sure that he would stay out of the way of the other servants, but his spot in particular was more of an inconvenience since most of the servants had to make their way to a pantry.

Nobody paid him any mind as long as he stayed out of the way, and that's just how he liked it. He watched and smiled as the other servants went by. Then he noticed someone else near the back door where the slaves entered. A man who's face was concealed by a dark woolen cloak. He stood there and from what it seemed the man was just staring at him. He tried to ignore him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

It was odd, generally only slaves and their overseers were seen in the kitchen. One slave, a man who was entrusted to watch over the people in the kitchen, went over to ask him who he was and why he was there. The old man watched from the corner of his eyes, and even the other slaves began to slow their pace with the occasional glance. The same thought was going through everyone's mind, they wanted to know who this man was and what he wanted.

The cloaked man just simply pushed the slave aside and made his way over to the old man. The elderly man just turned away praying that he was not the one the cloaked man was looking for. Soon he heard a commotion as the overseer grabbed the cloak man, but then the cloaked man pulled a knife out of his sleeve and slashed at the overseer's neck. The overseer was fortunate enough dodge as the tip of the knife barely scrapped his neck. The man just fell down and shuffled away, a loud gasp came from several of the other slaves. Now everyone watched in horror as the cloaked man turned to the old slave.

"What do you want?" the elderly man asked as he dropped the mop and moved away.

The man said nothing as he stepped in and stabbed the elderly slave in the gut. The old slave was shocked, his mouth agape as he felt the knife retracted him from gut. He placed his hand over the gash as blood poured from the open wound. He collapsed to the ground as a pool of blood began to form around him. Everyone was stunned by what had just happened, and a couple of the female servants cried out in terror. The cloaked man said nothing but instead he rushed towards the exit, by passing other servants and disappearing into the night.

Nobody chased the cloaked man, no one dared go after him. Many of the people panicked. Just then the door to the castle's dinning room burst open as two men of the king's guard walked in. Trailing behind them was a tall knight with silver armor and a white cape. He had bushy black hair and a long squared nose and dark eyes. The kitchen slave's eyes went wide as they noticed him immediately as Arcadios, one of the king's top knights.

"What is going on in here?" Arcadios roared. "Don't you know the king has a very important dinner tonight with his nobles?"

"Yes we know my Lord," the overseer said as he finally managed to pick himself up from the ground. "But you see this man just forced his way in here and killed the old man over there," he said pointing to the elderly slave on the ground.

Aracdios walked over to check up on him. He kneeled down, careful not to let his robe get caught in the blood. He placed his hand on the old man shoulders.

"Well what are you waiting for?" Arcadios barked. "Get this man some bloody help, NOW!"

The slaves bowed their heads as two men rushed over with clothes to try and stop the bleeding. A slave girl ran to the bowls of water to bring them over. The two other guards stood behind Arcadios with their hands on their swords. They began to shout out orders for the slaves that weren't doing anything to help with the medical treatment to get back to their regular duties. They continued to shout to hurry and make up for lost time.

"What happened here exactly?" Arcadios asked one of the slaves that was pressing the rags against the gash.

"I don't know," he said. "Some cloaked man just ran in and stabbed him."

"Did he say anything as to the implications as to why he would just hastily run in and kill an elderly kitchen slave in a crowded room?" Arcadios asked bewildered. He didn't believe what the slave was saying. It was too unorthodox.

"What is going on in here?" a voice called out from the doorway. Everyone in the room immediately stopped what they were doing and bowed as they saw the king enter.

"My Grace," Arcadios said as he stood up and bowed. "It seems that a man has attacked one of your kitchen slaves and left him for dead."

"Really?" King Jude said raising an eyebrow. He walked over to where the elderly slave was lying. He grimaced as he looked down at the old man. "So then take it outside. There is enough work ahead for the dinner tonight than to bother with an old slave."

"But my Grace he could die," Arcadios said.

"You're point?" King Jude asked scowling at his knight. "The man is old and useless, he'd be better off dead. I come in here and see everyone making such a commotion over some old fool."

"He was stabbed my Grace," Arcadios interjected.

"Then he must have done something to deserve it," King Jude retorted. "If it was another slave than punish him how you see fit. If it was some outsider, than clearly the slave did something wrong. Stop wasting your time bothering with the rotting piece of meat. Take him outside and tend to him there if you have to, but I will not allow my dinner to be ruined by some dumb old fool. Is that understood?"

Arcadios took in a deep breath as he peered into his king's eyes. "Yes sir," he said with a sigh. He nodded his head to the slaves that were working on the old man. They shook their heads before grabbing and dragging the old man outside.

"See now was that so difficult?" King Jude asked before turning around to leave. "All this attentiveness over a pathetic old slave. Get back to work the lot of you and don't ever cause me to into this kitchen again or else I will have you all strung up to hang by your entrails! Understood?"

"Yes your Grace," everyone said at the same time.

"Good," King Jude growled as he stormed out of the kitchen. "And clean this place up," he roared just as soon as he stepped through the kitchen door.

The slaves began to work at a much quicker pace. Arcadios watched as the other two slaves dragged the old man from the room. A trail of blood was left behind as a couple of kitchen girls immediately began to mop up the blood and clean the floors. The two other knights followed King Jude out of the kitchen and back to the dinning rom. Arcadios was the only one left in the room. He took one last glance at the back door and left.

The dinning room of the castle was of a large scale, with an enourmous table at the center. The king's white and gold banners hung along the walls. When King Jude returned to the dining room he saw that many of his guests were now full of curiosity about what had happened as they peered at him with inquiring eyes. He still had a scowl on him as he took his seat at the head of the table.

Princess Lucy sat at the right of her father at the same end of the table. Noblemen and woman sat on either side wearing fine clothing and jewels. Iwan sat on the right hand of the king and was more than eager to begin dinning as well. There was one man in particular who stood out among everyone there. Gildarts sat at the far end of the table, alone. Unlike the others he did not wear any fancy robes or gowns. Instead he still wore his tattered cloak and armor as he did in training. Granted he cleaned it up a bit, but it was still causing him to receive stares of unwelcome.

"So what was all the ruckus about my Lord?" Iwan asked with a smirk.

"Nothing," King Jude answered. "Just an overreaction to some useless old slave. It seems that my kitchen servants have forgotten that old people have a tendency to die."

"That is disappointing my Lord," Iwan answered. "I hope it has delayed the dinner for too long. I mean it is uncommon for a woman to shriek so loud at the sight of an old man falling. I could have sworn that it was the wail of someone who had been stabbed."

"Don't worry, but the slave was stabbed," King Jude said. "It was more likely a beggar or a robber. The old man's unfortunate situation will not impede your dinner any more than it did. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"You need not worry about it my Lord," Iwan said waving it of.

The rest of the guess went about their talks, but the princess seemed a little distraught by the news. Either way the slaves surrounded the table with trays of food. The table itself was made of fine cedar wood covered in a long white silk tablecloth. The plates were large decorated with roses and tulips. There were silver goblets by each plate as well as several items of silverware on satin napkins.

As soon as King Jude took his seat servants walked up and placed bowls of salad and soup on the guest's plates. Everyone waited for the king to begin, as was the custom. But no sooner had the king taken a bite Gildarts practically engorged himself and had half the bowl finished by the time the king had swallowed. The eyes of everyone fell on him with disgust. He chewed his large mouthful realizing everyone was staring at him. The only person who didn't wear a frown was the young Princess Lucy who giggled loudly at him.

King Jude scowled at her, to which she bit her lip to stop herself. King Jude glared at Gildarts who just simply swallowed.

"You do realize Master Clive that one is supposed to use a salad fork when dining on salad," King Jude said jokingly. The other nobleman burst out into a fit of laughter at the king's remark.

"Is that what this tiny thing is?" Gildarts said as he held up a tiny little fork. "Well if it is made of steel, has a prong and can be used to pierce food so that I may eat it. Then I think that it is good enough for me."

"I see that your understanding of silverware and dining are just as bad as your table manners," King Jude retorted. "Perhaps you have spent too much time dining in taverns and soldiers that you've forgotten how to eat in front of proper company."

"Aye," Gildats nodded, "I'm sure I did. But you didn't hire me to dine with you my Grace. You hired me to train your men in the ways of combat. And that's what I can do better than any man in this kingdom. I may not be able to eat a salad like some of your more, affluent colleagues, but I can swing a sword better than any knight you put in front of me."

"Indeed," King Jude said smirking.

"I appreciate the invitation you offered me to dinner, my Grace," Gildarts said smiling, "but perhaps I would be suited to remain in my taverns where my dining is more suitable."

"Agreed," King Jude said.

"Daddy," Princess Lucy said energetically, "can I dine at a tavern some time." King Jude glared down at here with startled eyes as a couple of the other noblemen started to chuckle. Lucy recoiled under her father's eyes feeling a little ashamed to have asked him.

"Any time you feel like it young princess, you are more than welcome to dine with me," Gildarts said holding up his goblet with a wide grin. Lucy smiled back, but her father was none too pleased by the offer.

After practice Natsu made his way back to the main gate like he always did. He had hoped that the old man would be there again like he was the previous day. He made his way up the steps and returned to the same spot. He looked around eagerly awaiting the old man to come back and sit with him once more.

Natsu waited eagerly, hoping that the old slave would soon show up. He continued to took around the town center just to see if he could spot him. Natsu saw the regular rabble of people, merchants selling their goods and the towns people buying their groceries. The only slaves he saw were those that belonged to the merchants and busy working. It should be easy enough to spot an old slave, after all most slaves that became too old for physical tasks were usually left alone.

When Natsu didn't see the old man he began to feel depressed. He was hoping that he would get the chance to talk to his friend some more, but he assumed that today he wasn't going to get the chance. He was hoping that he could see the old man somewhere. He sat down in his seat as he just watched everyone else.

Natsu sighed to himself as he fell down to his knees on his spot. He felt lonely once again. He wondered where the old slave could have gone. He promised that he would meet him there that day. He wanted to tell the old man all about his new training instructor, Gildarts. He rather enjoyed the new instructor, the man was kind to him, unlike any of the other men he was forced to train with. The man seemed to actually care for him.

As he sulked there he saw the castle gates open up again. He watched from over his knees, and just like that time a couple weeks ago. He could see the king riding by with his knights on either side of him and the nobles riding behind. To the king's left was the young princess riding on her pony, and this time she wore a long lavender satin dress. Her hair was braided in a ponytail tied together with a blueberry colored ribbon.

Natsu smiled as he saw her. And though he wanted to run down and see them off, he decided not to. He stopped himself as he nearly leapt up to his feet, but he remembered what happened a couple of weeks before that day. He thought about it, took in a deep breath and decided that it was better not to go down to the gate. He would still be able to watch them as they rode out from the main gate. That would probably be the better option for him.

He sat back down and watched them from a top the gate. Then he noticed someone else riding out, but he remained behind the rest of the group. The boy immediately recognized that it was Gildarts.

"Well hello there young Natsu," he heard a voice say from over him. "How are you doing this day?"

Natsu recognized the voice and frantically stood up to bow as he saw Iwan standing there right behind him. He attempted to bow to the nobleman who just shook his hand.

"There is no need for that young slave," Iwan said smiling at him. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder causing him to look up with quizzical and heartfelt eyes. "You are incredibly polite, especially for someone your age. But there is no need for formalities, I'm just here for a friendly hello."

"Uh, thank you, my Lord," Natsu said keeping his eyes down. He was a little embarrassed that a nobleman would talk to him in such a kind and polite manner. "But if you don't mind me asking, why are you here?"

"Why am I here?" Iwan chuckled as he stepped beside Natsu. He placed his hand on the wall overlooking the town square. "I was just strolling by when I saw you sitting up here near the ledge," he looked back at the child. "Can't say that I like your choice of scenery, I would think you would much rather prefer the beauty of nature opposed to the filth of the city."

Iwan stepped to the ledge and peered down at the king's company as they made their way to the gate. Natsu watched him as he too looked down at the king and the others. It was unusual for anyone to see the king outside of the castle, or for him to go on any travels, but he seemed to be doing it a lot lately. Though Natsu found himself staring back down on the young princess as she rode next to her father.

Iwan turned to the boy for a second, and followed the boy's eyes back to the princess. He raised an eyebrow and smirked to himself. He folded his arms across the chest as he watched the boy closely. As soon as the company made their way through the gate Natsu's eyes finally broke from their path and turned back to Iwan who just stood there and smiled at the boy.

"What?" Natsu asked, as he saw the nobleman chuckle.

"Nothing," Iwan said shaking his head. "Don't worry about it. I just saw something… funny."

"Oh," Natsu said turning back to the last of the nobles. "What was it?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself about," Iwan told him.

"Well, my Lord, why are you here and not journeying out with the king and the other nobles?" Natsu asked.

"The king is making a trip to one of the neighboring countries again," Iwan told him. "He is going to a country I don't really care for. And let's just say that they are involved with some people that I don't really care for."

"What?" Natsu asked blinking. "Why?"

"Because he is in the middle of discussing marrying Princess Lucy off to a a suitor?" Iwan told him.

"What?" Natsu asked bewildered.

"Not now," Iwan burst out into laughter. "A potential suitor for when she comes to age. She can't get married now. King Jude is just looking for a prince that would allow them to combine the kingdoms."

"Why would he want to do that?" Natsu asked innocently.

"Depends," Iwan said shrugging. "He could be doing it for money, power or to create an alliance. Maybe, he is doing it to a mass a larger army so he can go on conquest once again. Usually these marriages are done to gain an allegiance or a truce. Thought that would be weird since most kingdoms no longer have major wars with one another since their war with the dragons."  
"What war with the dragons?" Natsu asked him getting interested.

"Well in that war the kingdoms were interested in gong into the Draconan lands and seizing everything they could get a hold of. Unfortunately the dragons decimated every army that came into their territory. So now, the kingdoms are so weak they can't afford to battle each other. This marriage could be used as a way for King Jude to regain some power."

"Why would he want a large army?" Natsu asked.

"It all goes back to power," Iwan told him. "The king might be doing it so he can go back to war."

"He shouldn't do that," Natsu pouted.

Iwan turned to him and laughed. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Well maybe you should let the king know that you disapprove."

Natsu could see that the man was joking and he didn't really like it. He hated being mocked. Though he knew that he couldn't say something to him, nor could he react. It was one thing to fight with slaves, it was a completely different situation when it was a nobleman. Striking a nobleman was an offense punishable by death, especially for a slave.

"Don't get too upset boy," Iwan said as he stood upright and held his hands together behind his back, "I meant no offense. By the way how is your training coming along? I heard you started with, what's his name? Master Clive."

"Who?" Natsu asked raising an eyebrow. "I was working with Gildarts, but who's Master Clive?"

Iwan let out a soft chuckle as he patted the boy on the cheek. "Master Clive is Master Gildarts. His full name is Gildarts Clive. He is a special kind of man. I convinced the king to bring him here to help train you."

"Why would you do that?" Natsu asked.

"Because you, my child, are a very special boy," Iwan said with a wink. "Even on the day that he brought you home I knew that there was something special about you."

"What?" Natsu asked. "I know that I'm a monster," Natsu said holding up his hands as he stared down at them. He remembered when they were claws and what he did with them.

"No, my poor boy," Iwan said as he knelt down in front of the child. He placed his hands on the boy's shoulders as he stared into his eyes. "You are no monster. You are the son of a dragon, did you know that?"

"No," Natsu said shaking his head.

"Yes my boy," Iwan told him. "You are dragon born child. Within you is the power of a magnificent beast, and all you need to do is find a way to unleash it. And once you do you'll become a free man. One day you'll become a great warrior and on that day you will embrace your full potential and fly your way to freedom."

"When will that day come?" Natsu asked him.

"One day soon," but not yet, Iwan said as he raised a finger up to stop the boy from speaking, "but not yet. Soon, but you will have to wait."

"But I don't want to wait," Natsu said pouting. "I want to be free now."

"I know my child, but fear not, I am here to help you," Iwan told him. "On the day that you achieve this potential I will be there to see you fly in all your glory. But not just yet."

"But when will that day come?" Natsu whined as he stomped his foot.

"I don't know," Iwan said shaking his head, but his smile didn't fade from his cheeks. "You need to continue to train. King Jude does it to make you into a potential weapon, but once you become strong enough you will be able to free yourself from your bondage. For now, be a good boy and follow through with your training."

"And when I do finish my training will you be there to see me off?" Natsu asked.  
"Of course my dear boy, or course," Iwan told him. "I will wait patiently for that day same as you. I cannot wait to see what happens when you become free."

With that Iwan took his leave, walking towards the stairwell. Natsu watched him as he went, thinking about the words that he said. He had known the nobleman from seeing him on occasion, but he had never really had a chance to talk with him. He seemed nice enough. He never knew that someone with so much power actually cared for him. But he soon thought about what it would be like to be a dragon and fly over the wall to freedom. He knew that it may only be a dream now, but if the nobleman was right, it would come soon.

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. Sorry this chapter is shitty, I had food poisoning the other night. Hope the next chapter will be better.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The Lake

It had been a day since Lucy had returned home with her father from another country. Just like she had done so before, she met with the prince of the land. This time it was chubby boy with a snout nose. The worse part for her was that the prince was six years older than her, and he looked down at her for being a child. She hated him because he was condescending and rude. But nonetheless her father told her to play nice as he talked to the other king. It would have been more fun if the boy didn't insist on trying to shoot an apple off of her head.

Now that she was back home she could forget about him and all the other princes she had met. At least for the moment before she was forced away once again to go to another land to see another prince. She sat in her room, a rather large one with a huge bed covered in plethora of colored blankets and pillows. A red silk curtain hung around it with a matching tapestry above. Her window overlooked the back of the castle, just behind the wall, where she could see two guards at attention, was a line of trees. But where she really wanted to go was just beyond that tree line where a lake resided.

Today she just wanted to visit the lake, or go wonder around for a bit. She decided that she would ask her father if it were okay for her to go out. Of course not alone, she would need a guard to escort her, but she had hoped that her father maybe able to join her. She made her way from her room down the castle corridors to where she expected to find her father.

She came upon a bulky door that led to her father's study. She knocked on the door before hearing her father call out for her to go inside.

"Father?" Lucy said as she opened the door.

When she poked her head inside she could see her father sitting at a table with two nobles standing on either side of them. One she recognized as Iwan, the other was a rotund noble with long curly black hair. Apart from her father and the nobles, Arcadios stood in the corner near huge window that resided behind her father. King Jude peered up from his desk and eyes focused on the young girl.

"What is it, Lucy?" he asked.

Lucy bowed her head as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. The young girl approached the table where her father and the other men were talking. Once again she bowed her head as she stopped just feet away from him. She was a little nervous, seeing her father was not too thrilled at her presence. Iwan offered her a smile, which helped quell her nerves, but the other man seemed to be a bit annoyed by her.

"I was hoping that you and I could go to the lake today," she said softly gazing at her father sweetly.

"Lucy," the king mumbled as he brought his palm to his face in agitation. "I'm very busy today. I don't have time to waste at the lake."

"Oh, okay," she sighed. "I'm sorry to have bothered you."

"Now hold on a second," Iwan interjected. "If my Lady wants to go to the lake I think that she should be able to. Arcadios," he said to the knight, "why don't you escort the lady to the lake for the afternoon?"

Arcadios was pretty surprised to hear his name mentioned. He looked over at Iwan and than back to the king. Iwan gazed at him and nodded his head, motioning for him to agree with what he said. But when he gazed at the king he could see the king scowling at him.

"I'm sorry princess," the knight apologized, "but unfortunately as head of the guard I must be with your father at all times. If he were to go with you to the lake I would be more than happy to escort you."

"There it's settled," King Jude said. Lucy bowed her head and turned to leave but was stopped.

"Come now your Majesty," Iwan interrupted. "The girl has been more than well behaved on all the travels you've taken her on. I think she's done more than enough to earn a day at the lake."

"How would you know that she was well behaved?" King Jude asked. "You were not even there."

"Well you haven't complained about her behavior once yet your majesty," Iwan chuckled. "That tends to mean that the princess was well behaved."

King Jude did not like his answer. "The girl should be up in her room conducting herself in the ways best suited for a princess," he grumbled.

"The girl has done more than her fair share of reading though your majesty, and she can't keep her cooped up in the castle all day. I don't see why a guard can't be spared to escort her the lake that is just outside the castle walls," Iwan said.

"I am confident that Sir Arcadios just said that he could not escort my daughter to the lakes as he is obliged to follow his other duties," King Jude retorted.

"There are other options," Iwan interjected. "Obviously if you want her to be well protected, how about sending her with someone that can protect. What about that slave boy, Natsu? He could protect her, and not to mention he is the same age. He could be a suitable playmate for a girl her age."

"I would not dare leave my daughter alone with that beast of a boy," King Jude growled. "If you were not such a dear friend and close advisor to me Iwan I would have Sir Arcadios cut out your tongue here and now for insolence."

"What if Gildarts were to go with them?" Iwan asked. He just ignored the king's threat. "He is in the arena right now with the slave boy. I'm sure he would have no problem going with them to the lake. He doesn't have much work to do today."

"This discussion will end here and now," King Jude said slamming his fist on the table. "Gildarts is a man for hire, he is not to be trusted with such a task as taking care of a princess. Now like I said this discussion is over. Lucy return to your room and read, or practice your harp, or something."

"Very well," she said bowing her head again. "I'm sorry for disturbing you." She turned around to leave, disappointed by her father's rejection.

"Well then at least allow me to escort the young lady out," Iwan said as he stepped up next to the young girl. "Allow me, my Lady."

The two of them began to leave the room, Iwan making sure that he was with the girl every stride of the way. King Jude watch with displeasure but he didn't say anything further. He turned his attention back to his work while the other noble read over his shoulder. Arcadios watched the princess and Iwan leave the room, not feeling too comfortable having the two of them together.

Once outside the door Lucy turned to bow to Iwan and thank him for walking her out of her father's study, but when she turned to face him she noticed he was not looking at her.

"Guard," Iwan called out to a guard at the other end of the hall. The guard listened and immediately made his way over to Ivan. Lucy was confused by what was happening so she decided to follow Iwan.

"Yes, my Lord?" the guard asked as he walked up to Iwan.

"Princess Lucy wishes to go to the lake," Iwan began, "however her father is very busy at the moment, as is Sir Arcadios. So I want you to take her down to the arena and instruct Master Gildarts that he and his protégé are to escort her. Is that clear?" Lucy was a bit taken back by Iwan's lie to the guard. Nobody ever crossed her father's orders.

"Did the king permit this?" the guard asked skeptically. "I mean to have the princess alone with the slave boy?"

"She won't be alone," Iwan corrected him. "They'll be with Master Gildarts who is more than capable to handle the Natsu boy."

"Yes but did the king permit her to go?" the guard asked.

"Do you dare question me?" Iwan asked glaring at the guard.

"No," the guard said panicking, "of course not my Lord. I'll get on that right away. Please come with me my Lady," the guard said bowing to Lucy. Without waiting for her he turned around to leave.

"But my Lord Iwan," the girl said confused, "didn't my father say I wasn't allowed to go to the lake?"

"My Lady, I won't tell if you don't," he said winking at her with a wide grin.

The young girl nodded her head, unable to hide the thrilled expression on her face as she sprinted after the guard. She was a bit far behind him as he was halfway down the stone stairs. Iwan chuckled as he watched her leave just before he turned back to the study.

"Natsu make sure you keep your hands up to protect your face at all times," Gildarts instructed as he faced Natsu in a fighting stance. The boy kept his arms up in front of him as Gildarts threw a punch in a slow motion to demonstrate the technique.

"Master Gildarts," the guard called out as he entered the arena. Princess Lucy followed right behind him.

Gildarts and Natsu came to an abrupt stop as the turned to face the guard. The two of them were equally surprised to see Princess Lucy with the guard. More so that she would actually be there by herself without a proper escort. Natsu stared at her in disbelief, he couldn't believe that the princess herself was there in the arena.

"Yes what is it?" Gildarts answered as he whipped some sweat off of his brow.

Natsu's eyes fell on the princess as she stood just behind the guard in her snow white silk dress. Her hair hung down along her shoulder like pouring honey, all tied together with that same blue ribbon he saw on her before. She turned to him, their eyes meeting once again as she smiled sweetly at him. She bit her lip before looking down at the ground and back up at him. The sight of which made his heart beat exponentially in his chest.

"His Majesty, the king, has instructed that you and your pupil take the princess to the lake just beyond the castle walls," the guard told him.

"Really?" Gildarts exhaled with a deep breath. "My pupil and I are in the midst of training. Can't it wait until we're done?"

"No, the princess has requested to go at once," the guard said. "So you and the slave will accompany her to the lake. You will watch over her, and you will fulfill any and all tasks she demands of you."

"I see," Gildarts said rubbing his chin. "And you're sure this is what the king asked?"

"Of course sir," the guard said sounding offended.

"It just seems strange to me that the king would want us to take the princess out to the lake, during our time of training, rather than let one of his personal guards do it," Gildarts said between breaths.

"These are the king's orders," the guard quipped. "You are to take the princess to the lake. You are to watch over her and you are to do as she commands at all times. If anything is to happen to her it will be your head Master Clive."

"Yeah I would assume so," Gildarts snorted. "I hope you're correct, cause if you're not and the king finds out," Gildarts laughed shaking his head, "then I'm afraid it's going to be your head. By the way what was your name again?"

"That is all," the guard said in a panic as he rushed to leave. Lucy watched as the guard left before turning back and smiling at Gildarts and Natsu.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," she apologized bowing her head, "if you wish to finish your training I'll be more than happy to wait."

"Don't worry about it my Lady," Gildarts said smiling at her. "Natsu and I can finish here for today. It's not like the boy is making much progress anyways."

"Hey," Natsu snapped as his face began to flush a bright pink.

"I'm just kidding," Gildarts teased as he walked over to his chair to pick up his things. "We can work on some of the techniques when we go to the lake. If that's okay with you my Lady."

"Of course," Lucy said modestly. "I would love to see some of what you're working on." She turned and smiled at Natsu who felt himself blush a little bit more. He averted his eyes from her gaze, but when he looked back up he saw that she was still looking at him.

"Well of course my Lady," Gildarts said. "I would be more than happy to humiliate Natsu in front of such a lovely lady as yourself."

Lucy giggled at the remark as Natsu just glared back at him. Gildarts just winked at him but that didn't suffice. Natsu wanted to tackle the older man but he knew that he couldn't do it. That and he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of the princess.

"Well then come along you two," Gildarts told them as he made his way out of the arena.

Gildarts led the three of them out of the castle gates. Lucy and Natsu both walked behind him next to one another. There was an awkward exchange of glances between the two of them, but neither one of them was willing to say anything. Natsu wanted to speak to her, but he felt that he couldn't. As a slave, to speak to the princess was something that wasn't prohibited unless given permission. Lucy on the other hand was a bit shy biting her lip as she contemplated something to say.

As they walked through the back gate and entered into a small forest area. They walked down a dirt pathway that was completely shrouded by pine and maple trees. There were squirrels running on the ground as well as a few blue birds and oriels leapt from branch to branch of each tree. The only sounds that could be heard was the rustle of the leaves in the wind and the chirps of the birds.

"So my Lady," Gildarts said as they made their way down the path. "Where is this lake?"

"It's just a little further on the left of the fork," Lucy answered. "So Natsu," she said smiling at the boy, "have you ever been to the lake?"

Natsu gazed back at her as his face began to flush a bright pink. "No, my Lady," he said shaking his head.

"Really?" she asked puzzled. "Why not?"

"I just haven't been able to," Natsu told her averting her eyes.

"Well you're going to love it," Lucy said excitedly as she nearly jumped on him. "It's really pretty and there's fish, like really pretty fish and you can feed them and there's an apple tree that was planted there that has the best apples in the world."

Natsu watched the young girl jump around frantically as she grasped his arm. He had no reaction to it, as he could see her grinning madly at him. He had never seen someone so excited before in his short life, and it was very peculiar to see the princess of all people acting so energetic. Natsu looked up to Gildarts who couldn't help but contain his laughter.

When they came upon the fork Lucy grabbed Natsu by the hand and dragged him down the path leading towards the lake. He could feel his senses flaring up as his vision began to slow down. He wondered why his sense were acting up at that moment, but he could see the girl move in slow motion. He could see every strand of hair and lace in her dress move. He could feel her tugging him, and he offered no resistance to her pull.

The two of them ran past Gildarts who just watched as they rushed ahead of them. He smiled to himself and decided to keep on walking not feeling the need to catch up. Perhaps it was better to let the children have their fun and not bug them. It was uncanny though he had to admit, to see a princess playing around with a slave boy.

Natsu let Lucy drag him all the way until they began to make their way down a grassy hill. There at the bottom was the lake, a crystal blue surface surrounded by pussy willows and pine trees. A variety of wildflowers grew along the outskirts of the lake's surface ranging from baby blues, to sunshine yellows and crimson reds. Amongst them were lavender plants that grew untamed by the hands of man. On the other side was a tall apple tree that stood triumphant over all with flowers in full bloom. The pink blossoms swayed peacefully in the wind as petals fell and landed on the still waters of the lake.

Natsu was surprised to see such a lovely place. He had never seen a lake before, or any flowers that grew in nature. The only ones that he had ever seen were picked and sold in the market place. He never got the chance to smell one, let alone hold one. He wondered what they smelt like. They must have been nice, since the ladies of the town seemed to love them so.

"Isn't it lovely?" Lucy giggled as she pulled Natsu towards the water. "Come on let's go see the fish."

"My Lady?" Natsu tried to say before he was rushed down to the water's edge.

"See look," Lucy said pointing. Natsu was amazed at how clear the water was. He cold see the bottom with no problem. He saw as algae sat in the mud as some rather large trout swam up and nibbled on it. "They're rainbow trout," Lucy said definitively. She smiled proudly at herself for her knowledge.

"Can you eat them?" Natsu asked as he knelt down to get a closer look. He could feel his stomach growling as he glared at them.

"No," Lucy said dramatically as she slapped him on the shoulder. Natsu could sense her hand coming towards his back but he made no attempt to move. He let her hand brush against back. The strike didn't hurt him at all, in fact it could have been no more than a bump for him. "You're not supposed to eat them," she said. "You can feed them if you want."

"With what?" Natsu asked blinking. "What do fish eat?"

Lucy pursed her lips together as she thought about it. "You know I don't really know. Master Gildarts do you know what fish like to eat?" Lucy asked turning around to face him.

Gildarts leaned up against a pussy willow tree with his arms folded across his chest as he watched the two kids. He couldn't help but smile at them, but he just simply shook his head and shrugged. "No, sorry my Lady, I don't know what fish eat. Perhaps they eat bread, but I'm not sure."

"Really? Do you have any?" Lucy asked excitedly clasping her hands together as she hoped that he would say yes. To her disappointment Gildarts simply shook his head no. Lucy sighed as she squatted next to Natsu. "Well I guess we can just look at them."

"Are you sure we can't eat them?" Natsu asked as he reached out to grab them. Lucy snatched his hand and pulled his hand away. The motion startled the fish and caused them to swim away.

"No," Lucy whined as she watched the fish swim away. "Now look, you scared them away."

"I'm sorry," Natsu apologized holding his head down.

"Don't worry about it," she said smiling at him. She grabbed his hand again as she stood up. Natsu began to become a little annoyed with having his hand grabbed so much, but he didn't complain.

Lucy pulled him along once more. The boy nearly tripped over his feat as she dragged him through the brush of flowers towards the apple tree. Natsu wondered where she was taking him this time, but he understood once she stopped underneath the apple tree.

"Come on," she beckoned as she tried to leap up to the branch nearest to the ground, but she wasn't able to jump high enough. She tried again, but once more she came up short. She didn't give up and continued to jump up, extending her hand each time for the branch.

"What are you doing?" Natsu asked as he watched her. His eyes followed the young girl's body as she continued to jump up and down.

"I'm trying," she said as she jumped up again, "to climb the tree."

She landed on her feet and breathed out a deep breath of annoyance. Natsu walked up beside her peering up at the branch. Lucy gazed at him with a quizzical look. Natsu grinned widely at her as he bent his knees and hurdled himself up into the air and managed to grasp the branch with ease. He quickly pulled himself up as he peered down at the young blonde full of self admiration.

"That's not fair," Lucy pouted. "I can't jump that high."

"Well then let me help you," Natsu said as he leapt down next to the young blonde.

"What are you—" Lucy began to say but cut herself off as she let out a loud shriek. To her bewilderment Natsu bent down and lifted her up from her hind quarters causing the girl's face to glow a deep scarlet red. "What are you doing?" she cried again.

"Lifting you up so you can grab the branch," Natsu told her as he pushed her even further. He didn't understand why she was acting so frantic. He was helping her reach the branch. "Didn't you want help?"

Lucy immediately grabbed the branch and perched herself up on it. She was still blushing like mad resting her hand on her hindquarters. Nobody had ever touched her before, or at least not in that way. She knew that it was supposed to be considered inappropriate.

"I didn't ask for help," Lucy snapped at him. "I could have made it just fine on my own."

"Yeah sure you would've," Natsu sighed rolling his eyebrows.

He bent down again, this time he felt that same burning in the pit of his stomach that he did on the day of his fight in front of the main gate. Only this time it spread down to his legs and without a second though he jumped so high he almost flew over the branch, but managed to grab it on his way back down and pull himself up onto it.

"You know you're not supposed to touch a lady like that," Lucy said scolding him. Her face was still a deep scarlet.

"Like what?" Natsu asked her confused. "All I did was lift you up onto the branch. How was that bad?"

"Because you touched me in an inappropriate place," she quipped.

"What inappropriate place?" Natsu asked her innocently. He turned his head in confusion as he blinked at her a couple of times.

"You're a fool," she quipped turning away from him in anger.

Natsu was at a complete loss now. He turned to Gildarts who was still leaning on the same tree watching them from afar. He could see the old man laughing pretty hard and that only made Natsu all the more confused. He gazed at Gildarts wanting him to tell him what he did wrong. The old man just shook his head and shrugged. Natsu glowered at the man knowing that Gildarts was just toying with him.

"Well why did you want to climb the tree in the first place?" Natsu asked her hoping to break the tension. "There isn't any fruit up here to eat. At least for now anyways."

"What is it with you and wanting to eat everything?" Lucy snipped at him.

"Cause I'm hungry," the boy said. "I don't get to eat a lot of food."

"Why?" Lucy asked.

"Dunno," Natsu surged. "They don't feed me a lot. I get a bowl of porridge everyday so I guess that's okay."

"Well why don't you just go get more food?" Lucy asked.

"I can't," Natsu told her shaking his head.

"Well if you're hungry than you should go get more food to eat," Lucy instructed him. "That's only common sense."

"But I can't," Natsu told her.

"Well then you're an idiot," Lucy sighed rolling her eyes. "If you want more food you just go out and buy it."

Natsu stared at her and wanted to continue the argument but he just furrowed his eyebrows and decided against it. He stood up and started climbing some more. Lucy watched him as she too stood up and wanted to follow him, but because of her dress she was unable to go any further. Natsu continued to make his way up to the top of tree.

"What's wrong my Lady?" Natsu teased from as he climbed slightly higher. "Are you unable to go any further?"

Lucy scowled at him as she tried to reach another branch, but her dress prevented her from lifting herself up. Natsu smirked at her as he crouched on the last remaining branch that he could crouch on. He was almost at the top, but not quite there since the branches had become thinner.

"Give me another boost," Lucy cried out to him, pouting all the while.

"I'm sorry but I thought it was inappropriate for me to touch you there?" Natsu taunted.

Lucy glared at him as she looked around to see if there was something she could use to help her climb up. The sight of Natsu's smug smirk began to make her angry as she reached over and grabbed onto a smaller branch, but she accidentally tore it off.

"Natsu," they heard Gildarts call out his name. Natsu saw the man shaking his head at him telling him to stop mocking the princess.

While his eyes were diverted Lucy tossed the branch up at him. Without a second though Natsu could sense it coming and instinctively moved to avoid it. Unfortunately he moved too fast and didn't realize he had moved beyond the limits of the branch he was sitting on. Before he knew it he plummeted down from the tree and landed hard in the frigid lake water.

Lucy burst out into laughter as Natsu struggled to pick himself up. He sat up right, the fall didn't hurt as much as he had expected. The water wasn't too deep and he landed in the shallows. He was able to sit upright as he glowered at the blonde girl in the tree as she continue to laugh at him. He attempted to splash her, but she was too far up and the water just barely managed to make it back onto the shore.

Natsu picked himself up out of the water. Lucy was still in a fit of laughter as she pointed down at Natsu.

"Oh you think that's funny?" Natsu said smirking.

"Oh yes I do," Lucy said mockingly as she brushed her hair to the side.

"Well then I'll show you," Natsu said as he began to rush up to the tree.

"What are you doing?" Lucy asked as Natsu charged at the tree.

As soon as Natsu leapt up to the branch Lucy jumped down and began to run away. She couldn't help but laugh as Natsu began to chase her through the flowers. The two children couldn't help but smile as Natsu ran after her. Eventually he caught up to her, embracing her in a strong bear hug and falling to his back. The two of them continued to laugh uncontrollably as they rolled on the ground.

Eventually their rolling came to a stop as Lucy managed to wrangle herself on top of Natsu, she could hardly breath she was laughing so hard. They continued to laugh together as Lucy's face was buried in Natsu's wet chest. When she pulled herself up she was still giggling. She smiled down at him as their eyes locked onto one another's. Natsu could feel his heart beating like made as he peered into her eyes. He could feel the blood rushing to his face, as Lucy could feel hers growing slightly pink as well. She coughed as she picked herself up off of him looking away a little embarrassed.

"Well it looks like my dress is all dirty now," she said biting her lip.

"Sorry, my Lady," Natsu said bowing his head. He felt a little embarrassed to see that her dress was now wet with dirt spots and grass.

"Do you want to go try and catch some fish?" Lucy asked him, hoping to break the tension. "And no not to eat," Lucy said before Natsu could even ask.

"Yeah," Natsu said nodding his head smiling widely.

"Okay come on," Lucy said grabbing his hand as the two of them ran back to the lake.

**A/N: I know you guys hated me for not doing any NaLu in the last chapter so I hope this one makes up for it. Sorry for making you all wait so long for this chapter, but I hope you enjoyed. Also, I love reading your guy's reviews, they really do mean a lot to me. And I'm sorry for not answering all of the questions you guys have asked, but I don't want to do anything that could potentially spoil the plot. Once again thank you so much and I hope you continue to enjoy reading.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Like Fog on a Cold Winter's Day

It was just another day of practice for Natsu as he went over the same routine with Gildarts. He practiced his stance, worked on his punches and kicks, and even meditation. At no point in his training exercises did Natsu ever get the feeling that he did the day that he fought the three slave men. He never got the burning sensation and though he often wondered why he never breathed fire again. That was something he actually would like to be able to do.

He wondered why it never came back to him, and why that time was different than any of the times he had fought. It bugged him as he even tried to do it when Gildarts wasn't looking, but no matter how much he concentrated and tried the fire wouldn't come. The burning sensation never came back, and though he wanted to try and regain it, it just never seemed to come. He didn't know what he did before that had caused it to arise, except for being in a fight. He decided that perhaps Gildarts would be able to help him. His instructor was experienced in combat, perhaps he knew how the boy to regain it.

"Gildarts?" Natsu said finally summing up the nerve to ask his instructor. He was a little hesitant to continue but he bit his tongue and continued it. "I was wondering if you could teach me a way on how to breath fire?"

Gildarts laughed at the remark causing Natsu to get a little upset with him. "Unfortunately my boy," Gildarts told him, "that is not a method of training I have come to know. And I have yet to met the man who is capable of such a feat."

Natsu was a little disappointed now. He would really like the ability to breath fire. Though it scared him to think that he could transform into the monster that he was back then. Though he hoped that he would be able to control it, but he didn't want to lose himself like he did before.

"Will it ever be possible for me to learn how to do it on my own?" Natsu asked him.

Gildarts thought about it some more. He had heard about the boy's incident from Iwan when he was hired. He never really understood why he was hired to take on a child as a protégé. Though he often had to work with some men of the town guard, but most of his time was focused on the boy. He knew from the first day he had fought with him there was definitely something out of the ordinary about the boy, and he could see the fear in most men's eyes when they saw him. He soon realized that he was the only man that was actually willing to work with the child, but he himself had never seen the boy become the beast most people claimed him to be.

"Maybe if you focus more on where it came from then you can harvest it again?" Gildarts suggested. "Go back to the source of where it all came from.

"Does this mean that I'm going to have to meditate some more?" Natsu whined. He hated meditation. It was boring and most of the time he just tried to keep himself from falling asleep during it. He honestly couldn't go more than a few minutes.

"Yes Natsu," Gildarts told him as he walked over to sit down in the corner of the arena, "it does." Natsu breathed out a sigh as he walked over next to his instructor and took a seat next to him. "Now think about it," Gildarts said as he closed his eyes. "What happened that caused you to bring out the fire. Where did it come from, what spurred it, where in your body did you feel it resonate from?"

Natsu closed his eyes and remembered back to that day, the vision coming in was a little blurry. He struggled since the day that he hit his head on the steps to recant all that happened or to completely regain his composure. It was all too fuzzy, he began to remember seeing the three men standing in front of him, the way they grabbed him, and his body falling down the stairwell. At that moment it became much more difficult. He just remembered his senses not acting in the same way that they usually did.

Then the image of the slave that he had burned flashed in his mind. He could see him now, standing there in front of Natsu holding the boy by the scruff of his neck. It was in that moment where the sensation of the burning radiating through his abdomen began to surge within him. He could feel it bubble in gut and then the sudden burst of flames that came forth from his mouth scorching the slave's face as the man collapsed to the ground in pain.

Natsu suddenly snapped out of his memory as he could hear the screams of the slave echo in his memory. His heart began to race and beat violently in his chest as he became startled by the images of the man withering on the ground in pain flooded his memory. He didn't want to focus on it any more and opened his eyes, breathing in a panic. Gidlarts could sense Natsu's stirs as he too opened his eyes to see the boy with a terribly frightened expression on his face as he was breathing heavy.

"What's wrong?" Gidlarts asked him placing a hand on Natsu's shoulder trying to comfort the boy. He wondered what it was that had scared the boy so badly.

"I don't want to think about it anymore," Natsu whimpered as he hugged his knees to his chest.

"Okay, that's fine," Gildarts said softly not wanting to pursue the issue. But he wanted to know what it was that bothered the boy. "Why not?" Gildarts asked him.

"Cause I'm afraid," Natsu said quietly as he hugged his knees tighter to his chest. He held back tears as they were on the verge of breaking through his eyelids. Gildarts was becoming even more worried for the child now.

Gildarts could see the boy was worried as he patted him on the back. "Maybe if we take a little break and try for it again, then you'll have a better chance at getting it."

"That's not it," Natsu said with weary eyes. "I just don't want to remember."

"Tell me why," Gildarts said as he relaxed a bit more.

"I don't want to," Natsu sighed.

"Do you want to talk to me about it?" Gildarts asked him. He began to grow more and more concerned for Natsu. He had heard what the boy went through and he had tried to avoid the subject, but he didn't know that it was the source of where the boy's transformation.

"No," Natsu said shaking his head subtly.

Gildarts chose not to pursue it. He figured that the boy was very upset about what happened. He wished Natsu would tell him exactly what happened that day. Somewhere in the mist of that memory resided the answer Natsu wanted to find, but the boy seemed too afraid to go any further. Gildarts didn't blame him, and he didn't want to do anything that would cause any harm to Natsu.

"Well why don't we call it a day?" Gildarts said as he stood up. "I think you've done enough for today."

Natsu said nothing as he stood up. He kind of felt ashamed himself for not being able to reflect on that memory. The one thing he wanted to do was learn how to breath fire, and it just scared him to remember what he did to those men. He was too afraid that it would happen again.

Gildarts patted Natsu on the back trying to comfort the boy as soon as the boy stood up.

"Good day gentlemen," the two of them heard Iwan say as he stepped into the arena with his hands behind his back. Trotting behind him was the young blonde princess. "How goes your practice?"

"It went well my Lord," Gildarts answered. Natsu's mind was elsewhere as he was still upset with himself.

"And what is wrong with your young pupil?" Iwan asked as he stepped up and placed a kindly hand on the boy's head. Natsu blinked snapping out of it for a second as he looked up at the nobleman. Iwan offered him a friendly smile to cheer the young boy up. "Is there anything I can do to help you my young friend?"

"Natsu is just a little upset about his mediation, but its not too much trouble," Gildarts said as he stepped in between Iwan and Natsu. He had a serious expression on his face as he glared at the nobleman.

Iwan blinked as he took a step backwards, a little surprised by Gildarts' advance. Though the smirk suddenly reappeared on him as he nodded down at Natsu. Gildarts became a little defensive of Natsu, he didn't exactly know what compelled him to stand between Natsu and Iwan, but something in his gut told him to do it. Lucy was a little surprised herself, but she then turned to look at Natsu wondering why the boy was so distraught.

"I wanted to learn to breath fire like I did that one day," Natsu sighed.

"Well don't worry my young friend," Iwan chuckled ignoring Gildarts. "I'm sure that you'll be able to achieve any task you put your mind to. Especially with the help of Master Gidlarts," Iwan said eyeing the instructor with a sinister glare. "But for now, Princess Lucy is ready for you to take her the lake."

The blonde girl smiled up at Gildarts and offered a small wave. Though she was feeling rather nervous as she could feel a slight tension between the two adults. She didn't know when the two of them had some aggression towards one another it never seemed like that before. Her eyes felt back to Natsu where she saw that the boy was still sulking a bit. His eyes were on the ground lost in the recesses of his mind.

"All right," Gildarts said as he offered Lucy a friendly smile. "Come along my Lady."

Lucy nodded his head as she stepped around Iwan and stood over next to Natsu. The young boy still couldn't lift himself out of his sulk. She began to grow worried wondering what it was that distraught Natsu so much. She reached down and took his hand in hers. Natsu felt her hands around his causing him to blink out of his memory. He looked up at her seeing her smiling face. It felt like his sorrow just melted away. There was something comforting about her being there. He could take solace in her smiling face as he warmed his heart.

"Well Master Gildarts I'll let you get going," Iwan said nodding his head. He continued to hold a large smirk.

"Thank you my Lord," Gildarts said nodding his head, but he still had a serious aurora about him. Without another word Gildarts took the two children and walked towards the back gate.

When they arrived at the lake Gildarts took a seat underneath one of the pussy willows by the water on the open grass. He pulled a out a pipe and lit it while taking a few puffs of smoke. After he lit the pipe he reached into his leather satchel and pulled out a fishing line and tossed it out onto the water. After he had settled he tied the line to a tree branch and pulled out a book to start reading. He decided he would just let the kids play however they wanted without interfering.

Natsu and Lucy walked around the edge of the water sitting on the banks Natsu sitting on his own heels. Lucy could still see that Natsu was still troubled, the boy's eyes were still vacant and lost. Natsu picked up a stick that was resting near the edge of the water and began to fiddle with it, creating ripples on the surface. Lucy watched him carefully, growing worried about the young slave boy.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked as she sat down next to him.

"Nothing," Natsu muttered as he continued to flutter the stick around.

Lucy said nothing but instead ripped the stick from his hand and hurtled it into the lake water. Natsu gazed at her with both shock and confusion at her sudden gesture. He wanted to say something but couldn't figure out what exactly to say to her. Lucy on the other hand just pursed her lips furrowing her eyebrows at him. She was pretty serious and wanted to know what was going on with the boy. She stood up and placed her hands on her hips.

"Tell me what's wrong," Lucy demanded with authority. She folded her arms across her chest and continued to leer down at him, not breaking her eye contact.

"Fine," Natsu sighed giving up. There was no way for him to avoid her question anymore. "Today Gildarts had me mediate back to the time I breathed fire."

"What's mediate mean?" Lucy asked him. She had never heard the word before and now she was interested to learn about it.

"It's like sleeping without falling asleep," Natsu told her.

"Oh, neat," Lucy said. "So why were you meditating?"

"Gildarts thought it would be a way for me to find out how I breathed fire," Natsu said. "But the memory of what I did— I just couldn't do it."

"Well don't worry, it's okay," Lucy told him. "You don't have to breath fire or anything. If it bothers you so much than why would you continue to try and do it?"

"I would like to learn how to control breathing fire," Natsu admitted. "I just want to learn how to do it."

"Well you don't have to learn how to do it all at once," Lucy told him.

"I guess," Natsu sighed.

"What was it that caused you to breath fire in the first place?" Lucy asked. She knelt back down next to the boy. She offered him a gentle smile to try and comfort him.

"I remember the time when I was in a fight with those three slaves. And I felt really, really dizzy. I wasn't myself, and then when the man grabbed me I just had this burning pain in my stomach. And then, I don't know exactly what happened, but the fire just came," Natsu said as his eyes fell on the water as he saw a couple of fish swim up near the shore.

"Well stop letting it bother you so much," Lucy said as she stood back up.

As soon as she was back on her feet she made a dash for the apple tree. It was still in full bloom as the blossoms fluttered in the wind and fell gently onto the surface water. She turned back and grinned widely at him as she went through the brush of flowers. Natsu couldn't help but smiled as he too stood up and followed her over to the tree.

As he ran he felt a cold rush flow through his spine as he stopped in place. He had an eerie feeling creep up on him as he felt his heart beat rapidly once more. He began to peer around the lake wondering what it could possibly be that was startling him. He thought maybe it was nothing until something in his senses picked up that the cold sense was coming from behind him somewhere near the pathway they came. When he gazed back to the pathway he saw something lurking behind a tree and brush.

Natsu felt a weird sensation grow in him as his eyes began to narrow as his vision became much clearer, and even to the point that it magnified. It became clearly visible and then to his utter surprise he could see that there was a figure standing there watching him. He could see it clearly but the figure was that of a cloaked man.

Just then Natsu could feel that burning sensation from before radiate through him. What caused it was something he could not understand, but he felt more comfortable with it. His eyes leered forward, and he began to become frightened as he tried to hold it back. He could feel the burning in his gut and then he let it stir there for a second.

Lucy stopped just in front of the tree and turned around expecting to see Natsu running up behind her. But she saw that Natsu had stopped somewhere in the brush. Her smile faded as she could see the boy standing perfectly still. There was something about him, and she noticed that he had the same stillness that she had only seen on the day that he lost himself. She began to worry as she started rushing over to him.

Natsu felt the burn come up as he leaned over and from the pit of his stomach flames burst forth. Lucy came to such an abrupt stop that she slipped on the grass and fell on her rump. She was astonished by the sudden burst, and the sight of it reminded her of what happened to Natsu on that day. She started to become afraid. She turned to yell at Gildarts for help, but before she had the chance the old man leapt to his feet and ran over to the boy.

Natsu felt the burn cease, but there was still a boiling in his pit. He saw that the cloaked figure remained unstirred. His vision brought the man within closer view as he could see a slight smirk cross his lips. Natsu felt more natural and even to the point that he felt unafraid now. He took a couple of steps towards the cloaked man, but as soon as he did the cloaked man fell back into the brush and disappeared from the boy's view.

Natsu continued to hold himself there, waiting to see if the man was to come back. When he saw that he wasn't he cold feel the eerie sensation leave his body as he began to mellow out. But he didn't want to, he wanted to stay like that. He felt better about his body, a certain strength filled his bones and he liked the sensation of his blood boiling. The heat in the pit of his stomach began to slowly fade away but to his pleasure he summoned it up once more and let out another burst of flames erupt from his mouth.

Just then he sensed another person coming, and he turned to see who it was, but then he saw that it was Gildarts, and almost immediately his eyes transformed back to normal.

"Natsu, are you alright?" Gildarts asked as he took the boy by the shoulders. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"I saw someone," Natsu told him, his eyes going back to the area where he saw the man standing.

"Where? Where is he?" Gildarts asked as he turned to the direction that Natsu was looking at.

"He ran away," Natsu growled, he could feel his vision changing once more. It was going back to the same eyes that it had when he first spotted the intruder. "I don't know where he went but he disappeared into the brush."

"All right," Gildarts said as he patted the boy on the back. "You should let me know when you see someone like that. By the way what did he look like?"

"Don't know," Natsu said concerned, "he had a cloak covering his face so I couldn't see him."

"Natsu are you okay? What's wrong?" Lucy asked as she ran up to the young boy. Her eyes were filled with concern.

"Everything is fine," Gildarts reassured her. "Natsu just saw someone in the brush. He seems like he kept his composure for now."

To Natus's surprise he felt comfortable the way he was. He could sense the fire in his pit and without thinking about it he opened his mouth and let another small stream of flames burst out of him. Lucy gasped in surprise as Gildart slapped the boy in the back of the head.

"What was the for?" Natsu whined as he rubbed the part of his head that Gildarts slapped.

"For being an idiot," Gidlarts said scolding him. "Be careful about where you're doing that. You could have burned Princess Lucy."

"But I didn't," Natsu snapped back. As he did Gildarts brought down another hand that slapped Natsu again. "What was that for?" Another hand came back down and slapped him for a third time. Lucy couldn't help but giggle as she watched Natsu act all frantic.

"Stop whining," Gildarts said raising his eyebrows.

"Aren't you at least happy that I can control my fire now?" Natsu grumbled. Gidlarts slapped the boy in the head once more. "Why do you keep on doing that?" Natsu whined.

"I don't like your tone," Gildarts told him. Lucy was still laughing uncontrollably as Natsu glared at her. The young blonde couldn't control herself as she continued to giggle like mad.

Gildarts smirked at the two of them as Natsu practically pounced on the girl and tackled her to the ground. He wondered over to his spot and slumped back down. Though he kept a happy expression about him he was still concerned about what Natsu had seen. If it were true than that could mean potential danger. Natsu may have scared the man off for the moment but he worried whether or not the man would come back. For now he watched the two kids play, as Lucy managed to pry herself free and make a dash for the apple tree they always seemed to keep climbing.

Meanwhile the cloaked man made his way through the forest before he snuck back into the town. He made his way back to the same tavern and up the staircase to the same room. He knocked on the door and was told to go on inside. Once there he bowed his head and removed the hood of his cloak to reveal his snake like black eyes and scraggly raven hair. He had a mellow brown skin and incredibly thin boney structure.

Ivan sat at the head of the table with the same group of people he did as before. He sat in front of the fire place munching on a plate of food that rested in front of him.

"Kurohebi you're back earlier than expected," Ivan said as he tossed a tomato in his mouth and began to chew on it.

"My Lord," Kurohebi began as he entered the room. "The boy seems to have spotted me while I remained hidden in the foliage."

"And how, may I ask, did he manage to spot you?" Ivan asked irritably.

"The boy took a form of a beast, his eyes like that of a monster as fire erupted from him like the fog of breath on a winter's day," Kurohebi told him. "I know not how he discovered my presence, all I know is that he found me."

"And you say that the boy breathed fire?" Ivan asked intrigued.

"Like that of a dragon, my Lord," Kurohebi answered.

"Wow, now that is interesting, very interesting in fact," Ivan said as he leaned back in his chair. "I guess it will be more difficult to keep our little dragon a secret from the world anymore. But perhaps we can still use this to our advantage. And how bare his relationship with the young princess?"

The rest of the company's interest peaked as they heard the mention of the young blonde girl. A mutter began to erupt amongst those at the table and the exchange of curious glances. Ivan glared around the table with such a menacing glance that the mutter stopped almost insantly.

"The princess and the slave boy seem to have bonded incredibly well, like two good friends," Kurohebi answered. "If not so young, one could mistake them for lovers."

"Is that so," Ivan said smirking widely. "Well isn't that cute. I am deeply happy for the boy and the young princess. It breaks my heart that she will eventually have to marry a prince from another land and lose such a close friend. But thus is the life of a princess I guess. Kurohebi," Ivan said leaning back forward. "I want you to continue monitoring our little slave and see how much further he progresses in his hidden abilities. He has captured my complete attention now. I wish to learn how his progress comes along."

"Yes, my Lord," Kurohebi bowed his head before leaving.

"My Lord, what is this about a slave and the princess becoming friends?" one of the other men at the table asked.

"There is no need to concern yourself, or for any of you to pay it mind," Ivan told them. "What is being done is being done with my authority and my authority alone. And if any of you decide to disclose anything you have heard in this room to anyone, I will have your tongues cut from your mouths and left for you to drown in your own blood. Is that understood?" Ivan said threateningly. The rest of the company kept their mouths shut and nodded their head in compliance. "Good."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The Great Knight

In a land far away from Konzern there resided a great king and his kingdom. He was a young king, just entering his twenties, and though he had just taken the throne he was already known for his strong leadership. His father had been an elderly man who had passed away due to disease, and he, being the only son, ascended to the position of king. He was a man with clean-cut raven hair, dark eyes like chestnuts, and a patch of fuzz on his chin. He was man of small stature, but he carried himself with dignity and poise. His name, Duke Sawarr of the Junelle.

It was a mid-summer's day and it had been a week since his surmounting to becoming king, and he decided to hold a tournament. The tournament was to be held by all those with armor and a sword willing to compete. It ranged from amateur squires, to some of the better known knights in the kingdom. Some were incredibly tall, bulky men, others were just some frail small boys still in their youth. It was mostly done just for the entertainment of the new king.

The tournament was held out in an open field with the king sitting on a velvet cushioned chair on a wooden stage overlooking the arena where the knights were due to battle. Noble men and women surrounded him with seven knights in gold plated armor and white capes stood in front with their sword outstretched in front of them standing in silence. A crowd of people surrounded the stage in a semi-circle.

Among the noblemen on the stage, standing next to the king was a particularly young noble in his early twenties. He had long shaggy blue hair, dark eyes and pale skin. A very distinct feature he had was a red spiral tattoo above and below his right eye. He wore a long white tunic with silver outlining and an indigo robe with gold buttons.

He was one of the youngest man there apart from the king. Most of the other nobles were old men with long gray hair and beards. They had leathery skin covered in liver spots. The younger women on the stage wore fine silk robes and dresses decorated with various flowers, while the elderly women wore more casual clothing. Some women held fans both as a fashion statement and to keep themselves cools. Other women had servants hold umbrellas to give them shade in the hot summer sun.

The tournament had already gone on to the point that it had reached the final round. All that remained were two competitors, one small statured knight with pretty thin plated armor and chainmail on the upper torso and a leather kilt around the legs. A large silver helmet concealed the knight's face with only a thin slit for eye sight. Despite the small stature the knight was able to make to the final round witch was a surprise to everyone there.

The other knight was rather large with copper armor and a blue tunic. This knight donned a large copper helmet with several eye slits for vision. This knight had to be at least a foot taller than the other knight. This knight's sword was larger and he was known for being one of the better knights in the kingdom. Everyone was expecting this particular knight to make it to the final round.

The king called out for the competition to begin as the crowd erupted into applause. Just then the competition began as the larger knight rushed at the smaller one who tucked and rolled out of the way as the larger knight swung his sword hitting nothing but air. The larger knight spun on step as he swung the sword down on top of his opponent who managed to knock it away.

The smaller knight took the opportunity to kick the larger knight. It only caused him to back up a few steps. He proceeded to swing his sword down on top of the smaller knight who in turn rolled out of the way causing the larger knight to strike the ground. The smaller knight took the opportunity to stand back up. The smaller knight than proceeded to swing his own sword at the larger knight. The larger knight just swatted the sword away with his own hand.

He rushed at the smaller knight and grabbed him by the throat and threw him to the ground. The smaller knight rolled on the ground as the larger knight swung his sword once more missing his smaller opponent. The larger knight began to grow and more frustrated as he ran over and tackled his opponent to the ground. As soon as he had the smaller knight on the ground the larger knight raise his sword into the air.

"Yield!" he yelled out but was tossed off by the smaller knight. The force of the throw caused the larger knight to lose his sword.

Once he was on his feet the smaller knight took the opportunity to strike him with their sword, but it ricocheted off the larger knight's armor. The larger knight picked up his sword once more and swung it at his opponent with one arm hitting his smaller counterpart in the mid section of the gut knocking him straight down onto his back.

Jellal and the others watched with eager eyes. He could see that the match was clearly in the hands of the larger knight. He knew the man as being one of the better knights and most people expected him to be one of the top knights in the competition. The smaller knight was fortunate enough to get as far as he did, but Jellal had to commend him for his valor. The match was clearly going to go against him, but Jellal watched with great interest nonetheless.

The smaller knight was on his back as the larger knight picked up his blade and rushed over to finish off his opponent. As soon as he was within feet the larger knight leapt up into the air and swung his sword down on him. The smaller knight once again maneuvered his body out of the way and managed to kick the larger knight's feet out from underneath him causing the man to fall straight down on his back. The smaller knight rushed to his feet and stepped on the hand that held the sword of his opponent while he placed his own sword at the throat of the larger knight.

The larger knight rolled over the grabbed the boot of the smaller knight and tried to wretch his hand free. The smaller knight pressed the sword closer to his opponent's throat breaking the skin as a small stream of blood began to roll down his neck. The smaller knight struggled to keep his footing but by then the sound of trumpets blew ending the match.

The larger knight stood up in frustration, ripping off his helmet and threw it at the ground before stamping off. He threw the bystanders aside and tore through the crowd. The crowd of people were still busy cheering even as the larger knght vanished. Jellal watched as the larger knight left leaving the smaller knight alone in the heart of the circle.

Jellal furrowed his lips, rather impressed by the display of the smaller knight's victory. He wasn't the only one, the crowd roared in cheers and claps and even the king was rather impressed by the display. Jellal had to hand it to him, he was an unknown knight, but he somehow managed to win. The match seemed to go completely against him but he just managed to win in the end.

"Congratulations!" King Duke yelled as he leapt forth from his chair. "What an amazing match. You both have proven yourselves to be great knights. And even though you both fought valiantly, only one of you could leave this tournament a champion. Now step forward brave knight, and anything you request will be granted. All you have to do is name it."

"My liege," the smaller knight said as he stepped forward. He then proceeded to take out his sword and kneel down bowing his head at the king. "My only request is that you allow me to join as a member of your personal guards and serve by your side."

"What a noble request," the king said grinning happily. "Of course. It would be an honor to have such a great knight by my side. Now please take off your helmet and introduce yourself to the crowd so we may look upon the champion."

The knight stood up and removed his helmet letting a long wave of scarlet red hair tumble down revealing that the knight was in fact, not a man, but a beautiful young woman. He eyes dark and fierce as she looked up at the King who was in turn shocked to see her. The King was not the only one, an equal wave of gasps erupted from the crowd as soon as they saw her face.

"Erza?" Jellal muttered in disbelief. Even as he said her name, the word came out lethargic and heavy. He couldn't believe that the champion of the tournament was a young girl, a girl that he himself was well acquainted with.

"What is this?" the king growled as he glared at her with disgusted eyes. "A woman? A woman posing as a knight? How dare you dishonor the sacred rank?"

"But my Lord—" Erza interjected but was cut off.

"Silence your tongue woman!" the king bellowed. "You come here with deception. Don't you dare speak to me in such a manner!"

"My Lord if I may," Erza interjected with desperation, "you promised me a position on your personal guard."

"And the promise has been revoked," the king snapped. "I did not know of your deception at the time of the promise. So you can forget about having any chance to join the ranks of honorable me. I should have your head on a pike, but since you have won, I will give you your life as payment instead. Consider yourself lucky that I am this merciful. Now begone from my sight as I address my council on how to deal with other matters.."

"But my Lord," Erza persisted.

"I said begone!" the king roared before storming off behind the company of nobles.

He pushed his way through the crowd of nobles as he disappeared behind them. He shoved Jellal as he passed nearly knocking over the young blue haired noble. Jellal just ignored the king and just shook his head as he watched the king disappeared behind the crowd. He turned his attention back to Erza who just stormed off herself, throwing her helmet to the ground in anger.

Jellal sighed as he leapt down from the stage and followed her. Erza pushed her way threw the crowd and over to a couple of tents. A couple of people jeered at her with scornful taunts. Erza ignored them as she made way over to a large white tent and vanished behind the flaps. Jellal continued to follow her, slowly pushing and weaving his way through the onlookers. When he arrived at the entrance he pushed the flaps aside to see Erza standing in the center.

He could see that the girl was busy taking off her gauntlets in a heated manner. She ripped the straps off and but started to struggle as she attempted to pry the metal armor from her arm. Jellal could see she was upset, her eyes on the verge of tears, but she fought to hold them back.

"Erza?" Jellal said as he entered the tent.

Erza peered up from her straps glaring at the young nobleman with a glower. Jellal was a little taken back by the harsh glare he received from the red haired girl. "What do you want Jellal?" Erza growled as she finally managed to wrench the armor off and hurtled it at the floor.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on your victory," he said offering a courteous smile. He began to take a couple of steps towards her, but she glared back at him causing the young nobleman to stop in his tracks and held up his hands for protection.

"What victory?" Erza snapped at him. She fumed as he turned away folding her arms across her chest. "In case you forgot the king ridiculed me and barely let me leave with my own life. You call that a victory? All I wanted was to become a knight of the guard, to prove that I belong up there. Now, I'll never get the chance."

She exhaled a deep breath and rubbed the back of her head. Jellal could see the anguish and disappointment in her eyes, and he hated seeing her so distraught. She was a friend of his, close friends in fact. He had known her for years, and he always known her for her strong conviction and will. But for him to see her in this state was so unbecoming of her.

"Erza, don't let what the king said upset you so much," Jellal said in a comforting voice. "You proved that you do belong with the best of them out there. The king is a fool if he can't see that in you."

"Oh, shut up Jellal," Erza barked. "It doesn't mean anything unless I actually gain the title."

"Do you really want to be a guard that badly?" Jellal asked raising an eyebrow.

"Of course I do," Erza yelled at him. She furrowed her eyebrows at him with eyes of disbelief that he could even ask her that. "Jellal, it's the one thing I've been preparing for my entire life. I finally had the opportunity at this tournament to prove that I could become one, but apparently not." She sighed as she looked away from him. "I've worked so hard to get here, but because I'm a woman I'm not allowed to join his guard. It's ridiculous isn't it?" She asked spinning around in frustration. She took a couple of agitated steps towards Jellal, who backed away to insure that there was some safe distance between him and the enraged woman.

Jellal took a deep breath thinking about what he could say to her. Anything to calm her down, but he didn't know what.

"Well then how about you become my personal guard?" Jellal offered.

As soon as the words left his lips his eyes went wide as he realized what he had just said. The red head turned around to leer at him, her eyes becoming that much more narrow. She took a couple of threatening steps towards him. Jellal backed up trying to insure that there was some distance between him and Erza. The one thing he did not want to do was anger her any futher.

"What?" Erza hissed as she took another step towards him. Jellal found himself pressed against the sheet of the tent now with no where else to go. "You think I want your charity out of some pity you feel for me? Is that it?"

"No," Jellal shook his head. "Erza I want you to be my guard. You were the best knight out there today. And besides at least I know that I have someone who is a close, personal friend by my side. Someone I can trust."

"Please," Erza scoffed as she walked away. Jellal breathed a comforting sigh of relief as there was finally space between the two of them. He wondered that if this was the way his personal guard was going to treat him, perhaps he would be safer without one.

"Stop pitying me Jellal. It only makes me feel worse. And why would you of all people need a guard anyways. Aren't you more than capable of taking care of yourself?" Erza asked scowling back at him.

"Every nobleman needs someone to watch over and protect him, regardless of his skill. There are moments where we cannot see every danger that presents itself to us. That is why we need capable and strong knights at our side," Jellal told her, but she didn't appear to believe him. "Erza please I'm not doing this because I pity you," Jellal said stepping forward. "I'm doing this because I really do want you to be my guard. Just look at it as an opportunity to further prove that you belong the rankings of a knight."

Erza paused for a couple of moments, pursing her lips as she contemplated it over some more. Jellal didn't feel too comfortable as a certain aurora filled the air. She rubbed her chin and peered over at Jellal, her eyes narrow. Her gaze was directed straight into his eyes, of which said that he was being honest with her. After a few tense moments she finally came to a decision.

"Fine," Erza sighed shrugging her shoulders. "I'll take you up on your offer. But don't think that means I'm going to start calling you sir, or my lord." She said menacingly with a finger directly at him.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Jellal said offering a coy smile.

Later that afternoon Jellal made his way back to the king's court for the council meeting he was supposed to have met at the end of the tournament. However, it seemed like his absence went unnoticed. The king didn't appear as outraged as he did earlier. That was good for Jellal, but he stepped up but he remained behind most of the other nobles.

"Gentlemen," King Duke yelled addressing his court. "King Jude of Konzern has made a decree that he is seeking a suitor for his daughter, Princess Lucy."

"What's going on?" Jellal asked one of the older nobles that was standing in front of him.

"The king has decided that he will ask King Jude for Princes Lucy's hand. He sees it as an ample opportunity to merge the two kingdoms together and forge an alliance," the old noble told him. "Since Princess Lucy is the only child of King Jude, whoever marries her will inherit the entire kingdom of Konzern."

"I see," Jellal said rubbing his chin. "And King Jude has come to terms with his Majesty?"

"Not as of yet," the old noble told him. "There are other suitors vying for the princess's hand. Though it seems that King Jude is more prevalent on our own young lord here."

"That is good," Jellal said nodding his head and offering a smile. Though truthfully he did not really care all too much.

"Which is why I would ask my friend, Jellal, to accompany me on this journey," King Duke shouted. "Come forth Sir Jellal."

Jellal blinked a little surprised to hear his name called out. The entire room turned around to face him. King Duke's eyes roamed around the room as he looked for Jellal. The old nobleman Jellal had been talking to pushed him forward but he was hesitant to move any further. He had no idea what was going on but he just smiled and waved at the crowd as he move forward. King Duke stood at the head of the table with a wide grin, his hand out front gesturing Jellal to come up and stand with him.

"Thank you, your Majesty," Jellal said bowing his head as soon as he stepped up to the front of the table. "It is a great honor to be escorting you to—" he tried to remember the name but he was drawing a blank.

"Konzern," King Duke finished for him. He patted the blue hair noble on the shoulder.

"Thank you my Lord, you honor me greatly," Jellal said with a courteous grin. "I look forward to accompanying you on this journey."

"Of course," King Duke told him with another pat. "You and I have been friends for a very long time. You are someone I trust more than anyone. If I were to have anyone by my side it would be you."

"Your words are too kind my Lord," Jellal said humbly bowing his head.

"Well then go and pack, for we make our journey to Konzern in the morning," King Duke said as he sat down. "But first we dine."

King Duke clapped his hands and almost immediately servants appeared with trays of food that they set on the table before the king's guests. King Duke gestured to the chair next to him offering it to Jellal to take a seat. The young noble once again bowed his head and took his place by the king's side. An eruption of clamor echoed through the halls as the other nobles took their seats and began to dine.

Meanwhile outside of Konzern near the forest rode three knights, all of whom wore silver plated armor. They made their way down a dirt path towards the castle of Konzern. The day was peaceful for the most part, there wasn't a stir in the trees or brush apart from the wind blowing on the branches. The three knights were coming upon a bride that was built over a narrow stream when they spotted a tree had fallen on the rode.

The tree was too large for their horses to step over, and had such length. An exchange of glances were traded between them, the knight leading the company simply motioned for them to go around the tree. But as soon as they took a step forward they heard the shrill of cries echo through the wilderness. The horses let out a loud whine as their panic caused them to become unsettled.

The lead knight nodded at them to go gallop around the tree, but before they had the opportunity to move an arrow zipped by striking one of the knights in the chest causing him to topple off of his horse. The horses spun around as they saw several men come out of the wood; bandits, with torn up rags and fur skins, and whose weapons were rusty and dull. The horses wailed some more as the remaining two knights took off at galloping speed. The lead knight ran towards too of the oncoming aggressors, but the men dove out of the way when they realized the knight was not coming to a halt.

The second knight followed behind the leader and was close behind. A few arrows continued to come whizzing by their heads. The branches of the trees knocked on their helmets and body frames. Though it didn't faze either knight since the branches simply bounced off of their armor. They turned around and noticed that some of the men were still trying to chase them on foot, a fruitless endeavor since the two knights were galloping at full speed through the wood.

The sounds of hooves was all that could be heard as the two knights thought that perhaps they had managed to escape. To their dismay four men on horseback were right on their tail. The men waved swords and axes in the air as they were fast approaching.

The two knights finally found a small spot in the stream that was shallow enough for their horses to pass over. The charged right on through, feeling the water weigh down their horses just a bit, but they pushed them to keep going further. The four other horsemen behind them were right on their heels, but fortunately for the other two knights, it was enough to give them some room from their pursuers.

Once they were on the other side of the stream they made a mad dash for the castle gates. They galloped though the open field as some of the bandits on had managed to cross over the bridge where they had laid their trap. A few of them shot arrows at the knights, but most of them wound up falling short, a couple went a little too far. Just then the lead knight's horse let out a loud wail as an arrow hit it on the back leg causing it to topple over.

The knight was flung from his horse and rolled on the ground. The armor provided enough protection to keep the knight safe. The knight who was following had bypassed the lead knight, but doubled back around to pick up his partner. The four pursuers were catching up now. The knight who had fallen reached out his hand to be picked up an arrow came whizzing by as the four men on horseback were barring on them now.

The knight on the horse unsheathed his sword and deflected an oncoming axe blow. The knight on the ground unsheathed his as well as he dove out of the way to avoid the swing of a sword. Another horse was right on top of him, but fortunately the horse just rode right over him, causing little harm. The knight who was still on his horse deflected an oncoming sword, but the bandit that had missed him with the axe came back and knocked him off of his horse from behind leaving the last knight to fend for himself. He wasted no time and jumped onto the horse that his comrade was struck from and began galloping towards the gate.

As he continued to ride an arrow went whizzing by his helmet and struck one of the pursuing horsemen through the throat causing his limp body to collapse onto the ground. No sooner had the first arrow been shot than a second arrow came whizzing by, brushing the knight's cheek and striking another pursuer mid center of the chest causing him to fall off his horse and land flat on the ground.

The lead knight was within twenty meters from the gate when he saw a teenaged boy with spikey pink hair come dashing towards them at a speed that could rival a horse. Not a moment had gone by when the pink haired boy was only a few steps away from the knight just on the verge of colliding with him, but in the blink of an eye the boy leapt high into the air over the knight.

Right when the knight was underneath him fire erupted from the boy's mouth as he aimed for a bandit on one side, enveloping his torso in flame. The bandit yelled out in shock and horror as he fell of the back of his crying horse. The other pursuer swung an axe at the boy trying to hit him mid-air. The boy sense it coming and grabbed the bandit's wrist, using the momentum of the swing to carry his body behind the axe wielder. In one fluid motion the teen brought his free hand in, his fingernails turning into talons, ripped the axe wielder's throat out and dragged the body with him to the ground.

The knight was free at that point and rode his horse safely through the main gates. A number of guards swarmed around him as he came to a halt after passing through the gate. Once inside the knight removed his helmet letting long blonde hair cascade down revealing that he was in fact Princess Lucy. She was about to let herself down off the horse when she heard her father call out to her.

"Lucy?" he cried as he rushed over to her with concerned eyes. Iwan was there running by the king's side, with just as much worry in his eyes as the king. "Are you all right? I saw everything from a top the tower."

"I'm fine father," Lucy said offering him a gentle smile. "It was just some bandits. Probably the same ones that attacked our supply lines awhile back. Do not worry, I am unscathed."

Natsu reentered the town now. He could see Lucy sitting upon her horse as she talked to her father. Natsu navigated himself through the crowd of people, bobbing and weaving until he finally reached Lucy's side. He wasn't the only one though. A small, fragile young teenaged girl also ran up to Lucy's side. A girl with long purple hair tied back with a red ribbon. She wore finer clothes, a lavender suede dress, that meant she was a handmaiden, a high servant to the princess.

"Are you okay my Lady?" Natsu asked as he extended a hand to help her down.

"Don't you dare touch me, slave," Lucy hissed as she kicked him in the chest causing the boy to fall over into some mud. "You think I want your dirty hands on me?"

"Come now Lucy," King Jude intervened as he approached her. "Is that any way to show gratitude to the man who had just saved your life? You should be thanking him."

"I am sorry father," Lucy said bowing her head before leaping off of her horse next to the maiden. "I did not mean to offend you."

"Me?" King Jude said perplexed. "You should be apologizing to the slave who still lies in the mud. Were it not for him, those bandits would have ridden you down before you made the gates."

Lucy turned to Natsu with a serious glare. Natsu sat there in the filth hunched over not saying a word to her. He looked up at her with sincere eyes but lowered his head when they were only met with enraged ones. He bit his lip not willing to say anything, but picked himself up out of the mud. Lucy continued to walk over and hugged her father as Iwan walked over and offered a hand to Natsu and helped pick him up.

"But I am so happy you're safe," King Jude said as he embraced his daughter in a hug.

"Thank you, father," Lucy said smiling at her dad.

"Now go get yourself cleaned up for dinner," he told her.

Lucy bowed her head and made her way back to the castle, her handmaiden following right behind her. The other girl seemed more concerned as she peered back at what looked like a brokenhearted Natsu before gazing back at the princess. Lucy seemed more serious now, a grimace expression about her.

"My Lady," the maiden called as she ran up next to the blonde, "don't you think you were a bit harsh on Natsu?"

"Don't tell me how to treat my slaves, Levy," Lucy grunted as continued forward without so much as a glance.

"I am sorry my Lady," Levy sighed. "I did not mean to offend."

"I apologize for my daughter's rudeness," King Jude said as he walked over to Natsu. He offered the boy a friendly smirk, one that showed that he was grateful for the boy's actions. "I guess I owe you a debt of gratitude for saving her life?"

"Think nothing of it my Lord," Natsu said bowing his head. "I swore an oath to always serve and protect the House of Heartfilia."

"Good boy," King Jude said smiling at him. After that he turned around to take his leave. He would say nothing more.

"Well done my boy," Iwan said nodding at the boy and winking, "well done."

"Thank you my Lord," Natsu said as he watched the two men make their way back up to the castle.

"Just like a good little bitch," Natsu heard someone murmur behind him. When he turned around he could see a group of slaves glaring and scowling at him. Natsu glared back and exhaled a small flame from his nostrils that frightened the other slaves to run away.

After that he made his way to a cramped shop near the gate. He walked over to the side of the wall where he picked up an apron. Once he had tied it on he made his way over to an anvil and picked up a sword that had was just starting to be worked on. He breathed fire onto it heating the metal up allowing him to hammer it out. After a couple of blows he sighed, dipped the sword into a bucket of water as steam spewed forth.

**A/N: You guys are spoiling me with your comments and reviews . . . please keep it up!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

After she had removed her armor Lucy returned to her room to put on some better clothing, a long baby blue caprice dress. Levy helped her changed, but the handmaiden was still a little concerned about what had just happened that day. What puzzled her more over was that Lucy didn't appear all that bothered by it. She was incredibly calm, humming softly as she fluttered about in her dress, looking herself over in the mirror to insure that she looked fine.

After she had finished getting dressed Lucy made her way down the hallway towards the dinning room where her father and several of the other noblemen awaited her. Levy followed behind biting her tongue. She wanted to ask Lucy why she wasn't all that troubled, but she figured it was better not to.

When Lucy arrived in the dinning room she was greeted by everyone there. A loud applause came as many of the nobles gathered around her asking if she was okay. The blonde teen just smiled sweetly at them and nodded her head politely. She thanked them for their concern, but she just made her way over to her father. King Jude was sitting at the head of the table with Iwan at his side, the two of them talking. Iwan was the first to point out the princess's approach as King Jude stood up once more and embraced his daughter in a tight squeeze.

"How are you doing, Lucy?" he asked.

"I told you I am fine father," she told him as she too took her seat at her father's side. "I have endured hardships like that before, and this one was no different."

"Except you did not have Master Clive there to protect you like before," Iwan interjected. "Or Natsu, until the boy finally managed to make a surprise rescue of our beloved princess."

"Yes, the boy did come through as he always has," King Jude said nodding in agreement. "We should be thankful to have such a loyal slave at our dispense."

"Yes, father," Lucy agreed as she grabbed a goblet that lied in front of her and sipped the wine within. "However, he is still just a slave. He is not a noble knight of my father's court or a master of combat like Master Clive. He is nothing more than a blacksmith, and even that is being too kind."

"You should watch your tongue, Lucy," King Jude interrupted. "It's hard to find a servant that would be willing to sacrifice so much for the family, especially a Draconoan. Most of his fellow slaves would have taken the chance to shot us with an arrows rather than bandits."

"I know father, but those peasants aren't as fine tuned soldiers as you give them credit for," she said resting the goblet by her plate. "If they were than they wouldn't have succumbed to slavery in the first place. Am I wrong?"

King Jude laughed at his daughter's remark turning a satisfied eye to Iwan. The nobleman just smiled and nodded along with the king. Levy turned her own head away frowning as she heard the princess speak. The condescending attitude was too much for her to bear. She was tempted to leave and was about to make her way out of the room, but knew that as the handmaiden to the princess she had to sit there and listen to their droll.

"By the way my Liege," Iwan interrupted, "what of King Duke Sawarr of the Junelle? When is he due to arrive?"

"Within the month," King Jude answered. "Though he has already pledged to join our two kingdoms, I feel that it would be wrong to not wait and see what other offers may arise."

Lucy quickly lifted the sliver goblet back up to her lips to hide her dissatisfied scowl. She didn't know who this King Duke was, but her father expected her to marry him. A man she had never met, but was often told that it was her duty as a princess to go through with it. She hid her face from her father behind the mug, but Levy could spot it from the corner of her eye. She just rolled her eyes and sighed knowing how upset the princess was going to be. But the two girls just smiled and pretended as though they had no complaints.

"Other offers, eh?" Iwan said rubbing his chin. "You mean like Lord Isaldor?"

Lucy nearly choked on her wine as she heard the name. Isaldor was a man in his fifties with children older than her. She would be damned if she had to marry such an old man. Not to mention his kingdom lied dormant up in the snowy mountains of the north. They hardly ever saw a clear summer's day there. The idea of it made her sick to her stomach.

"By the way father," Lucy said softly biting her lip, hoping to distract them long enough from their potential bargain of the girl, "I was wondering if I could venture out to the lake for a few hours. It would give me a chance to clear my head."

"Of course my dear," King Jude said as he took her hand in his. "You take all the time you need."

"Thank you father," Lucy said as she stood up to leave. Levy followed right behind her.

King Jude and Iwan watched them leave. Once they had gone from view Iwan leaned into King Jude, with a more serious expression on him.

"My Lord now that the princess has gone I think we should talk about these bandits," Iwan said in earnest. "They have become a big problem, and we are losing more and more guards to their thievery."

"I know," King Jude grunted as he reached over and plucked his goblet up.

"What do you want us to do about it?" Iwan asked. "My Lord, King Duke is due to arrive any day now, and if he is attacked by a group of bandits on your land that does not bode well for you or for Princess Lucy."

"I know," King Jude grunted again. "But what would you have me do? We're already patrolling the areas, and I was even forced to disguise my daughter as a knight just so she could visit the nearby town to hear their woes while I spoke to council about this same problem earlier."

"But my Lord we must do something now," Iwan pleaded. "The council is full of men not willing to sacrifice what men they have under their command for the sake of the country, so that they can continue to live in protection while our merchants and traders fall under siege. It is hurting our economy, and this has been going on for far too long. Soon other nations would think us weak."

"What would you have me do?" King Jude asked as he took a sip of wine from his goblet. "I am thin on guards as it is, and none of the other nobles are willing to provide support. They are too busy trying to defend their own lands."

"Well then might I suggest using the slave boy Natsu to fight those bandits?" Iwan asked.

"You would ask me to send the slave boy out into the wild?" King Jude snapped.

"My Lord," Iwan interjected, "the boy has already proven himself to be most loyal to you and your family. He just saved your daughter from the bandits and he is literally a one man army."

"I see your point," King Jude said. "Fine he may go, but only if he is escorted by at least two other knights."

"I have just the men for the job," Iwan said grinning madly.

As the two of them left Lucy made her way out to the back of the castle where the arena was. Before she walked through it she turned to Levy, and with a sweet smile asked the handmaiden to stay behind.

"Yes, my Lady," Levy said bowing her head. "But if I may, why?"

"I just feel like I need to be alone for a while," Lucy told her as she turned to leave.

The blonde glided through the old training arena. She remembered the previous times she had been there as a child. She looked up and saw the balcony she used to watch the soldiers train with her father and the occasional noble. It still reaked of man sweat and blood. Even though there were other ways for her to get to the lake, she always liked going down this path. It was familiar to her, safe, and welcoming.

When she came upon the lake she could see that the flowers were still in bloom, the long grass swayed with the tree branches in the wind and the water was still except for the occasional swirl that was brought on by the fish swimming underneath the surface. The apple tree itself had luscious fruit, that she often enjoyed eating while she sat near the lake's bank.

As she stood there she could hear the rustle of leaves and brush behind her. She turned around to see Natsu glide through the foliage and appear right in front of her. She glared at him coldly folding her arms across her chest. Natsu eyed her back, standing there firmly, unwilling to move. But it didn't last long before she burst out into a giggle frenzy along with the pink haired boy.

Lucy then proceeded to dash over to him, wrap her arms around his neck and pull him in for a deep passionate kiss. Natsu brought her in tighter, wrapping his arms around her wasted as their lips touched. The moment lasted for a good long while before the two of them broke away to get some air. Natsu brushed some of Lucy's hair back as he stared deep into her eyes, before the two of them prodded to kiss each other once more.

When they had broken away for a second time, Lucy buried her head into the teenage boy's chest and closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry about earlier," she said softly, she could feel his hands rubbing against her back. "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry about it," Natsu laughed. "I have to admit, your kick has gotten stronger."

"Perhaps Gildarts taught me too well," she giggled. "You shouldn't have let me train with you all those years. Who would think that the princess would be able to beat down a dragon?"

"Oh yeah sure," Natsu said rolling his eyes. "I'm sure you can kick my ass any day."

"You wanna see me when I get serious?" Lucy joked.

"Oh, you weren't serious today?" Natsu said skeptically. "Well it's good I had to fake the fall in order to sell it. That explains why the kick was so weak?"

Lucy slapped him on the shoulder as the two of them laughed with each other. The laughter was broken as Lucy grabbed Natsu by the back of the neck and pulled him in for another kiss. After that she rested her head on the boy's shoulder and closing her eyes. She could feel herself falling asleep as Natsu began to stroke her hair.

"I hate treating you like that," Lucy sighed, rubbing her cheek against Natsu's chest. "It makes me feel sick to my stomach."

"Shh," Natsu said trying to sooth her. "You and I both know that we have to keep this up so no one becomes suspicious of us. I don't mind, it's no different than how most other people treat me around town so I'm used to it."

The words didn't provide the blonde much comfort. It actually made her feel worse as she thought about the way the town's people treated Natsu. She just tightened her hold on him. Natsu began to stroke her hair as he hummed a tune to her. The two of them stood there in that moment, a gentle breeze blew by them, and the sound birds singing in the trees.

The two of them took a seat on the grass near the bank of the water. Lucy rested her head on Natsu's shoulder. The two of them sat there staring at the lake, watching a family of ducks as the swam on the surface. They sat there in tranquil peace with one another, holding one another's hand. Natsu watched the stillness of the lake happy that Lucy was there with him.

Lucy was at peace resting her head against the teen boy's chest. She could hear his heart beat. It was soothing to hear as his body provided her warmth and comfort. Being there with him made her feel safe and comfortable. She found herself drifting off to sleep. The sounds of the grass and flowers swaying in the breeze and the light touch of water on the banks.

Natsu thought to himself as he wanted to speak to Lucy about what was troubling. He was hesitant at first biting his lip, wondering whether or not he should even bring it up what was on his mind. In the end, after a long while sitting there with her he decided that he would risk it.

"Hey Lucy," Natsu whispered in her ear.

"Yeah?" Lucy answered in a murmured keeping her eyes closed.

"Are you happy? Here with me?" Natsu whispered to her.

"Yeah," she exhaled with a deep breath. "Why do you ask?"

"Well you know how your birthday is coming up, and your father wants you to marry some prince?" Natsu began. Lucy answered with a simple yes as she did before, still keeping her eyes shut. "Do you think you're going to marry a prince when the time comes?"

The question caused Lucy to stir as she sat back up. Natsu peered down at her as she looked him straight in the eye.

"I don't know," she sighed hugging him tighter. "You know I don't want to. I want to be with you, here and now. I love you."

"Then what would say if I asked you to leave with me?" Natsu said to her. Lucy frowned at the question as she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Natsu we can't leave, you know that," she said sternly. She peered at him with glaring eyes. He could sense just how serious she was at the moment.

"Why not?" Natsu asked her. Lucy became more serious as she stared at him with somber eyes.

"Natsu we can't just run away. My family's here, the people I know and love. Even if we did decide to run away together they would never stop hunting us. Is that the kind of life you want? To constantly be running away from any and every danger?" Lucy said in a grave voice.

"If it's with you than yes," Natsu said just as seriously. "I don't care if we're hunted down and have to run. We'll find somewhere we can be together, even if that means we have to cross the seas. And I will kill anyone that tries to hurt you. I'll fight to keep us safe, and you know I can. With my powers I'm invulnerable and nobody can hurt us. I promise to always be there for you."

"And what kind of life is that?" Lucy snapped.

"And what kind of life is it where you ask me to say goodbye to the woman that I love? You want me to stand by and do nothing as another man takes you away from me?" Natsu said growing frustrated. He didn't raise his voice at her, he couldn't yell or even become angry.

"Natsu please," Lucy pleaded, her eyes tearing up. Natus could feel his heat break as he peered into her eyes. She grabbed and held Natsu's hands in hers. "Let's not fight. Please, not now. We only have these few moments to spend together, and every other time I see you I have to treat you so poorly. Don't waste the time we have together by arguing. Please."

Natsu remained quiet for a few moments. He wanted to convince her to leave with him, to run away so they could be together. He could see the sorrow in her eyes as he just took a deep breath and nodded his head. He wouldn't pursue it for the moment. He would keep calm for Lucy, though he refused to let it go. He knew that she was right to some degree and for now he would keep quiet.

"Okay," he sighed kissing her hands, "I won't talk about it anymore. But I'm not going to give up on you. When the time comes, I'll be there for you," he said caressing her cheek.

Lucy clasped her hands on his as she leaned back in and kissed him once more. Natsu keeping his hand on her cheeks feeling some comfort in the touch of her lips. He decided that he did want to just live in the moment for now, but he wouldn't stop. Lucy broke away for a second, their eyes locking together as Natsu went back in for another kiss. After she broke away again she rested her head on his shoulder.

Unbeknownst to the young lovers, they were being watched from afar. A man shrouded in a cloak hid behind the branches of the trees. He smiled a coy smile but he continued to watch them. He was too far away to hear what they were saying, but he could see that there was something going on between them. When it appeared that whatever quarrel there was between the two of them was over, the cloaked man seeped back into the brush.

Once he had slipped away he made a dash back to the town. Once there he made his way to the same old tavern and up the stairs and into a back room. There he met with Iwan, only this time the noble was alone, standing in front of the fireplace as he poked the burning log to get it set. Once he was done he turned around and face the cloaked man.

"Kurohebi how did it go?" Iwan asked as he cleaned off his hands.

"My Lord," Kurohebi said bowing his head, "the princess and the slave boy seem to still be deeply in love. From what I've seen, Princess Lucy may even plan to leave with the boy before she is due to wed King Duke or any other suitor."

"Well then I guess that works well with our plans," Iwan said with a sly smirk. "I couldn't have asked for things to go this well. And you're sure that nobody else knows about the two of them?"

"I am positive my Lord," Kurohebi answered. "Their relationship is only known between them, and us."

"Good," Iwan said rubbing his chin. "Very good. It is only a matter of time now."

"Well how much longer until King Duke arrives at Konvern, my Lord?" Kurohebi asked.

"He is due to arrive later in the month, probably after Princess Lucy's sixteenth birthday," Iwan said as he sat down at the table. "And I don't know whether or not he will be the only one attempting to gain her hand in marriage. Though King Jude is leaning towards King Duke."

"Why?" Kurohebi asked puzzled.

"King Jude prefers King Duke because he is young, has large chunks of land and his army wasn't as damaged in the dragon wars as most other countries. King Jude sees it as an ample opportunity to gain some power. The combination of the two kingdoms would prove to be an incredible force," Iwan said as he leaned back in his chair. "Also, you include Natsu into the mix and you have a force that would be unstoppable. This is why so many other kingdoms have been trying to gain Princess Lucy's hand. One of the only downsides to the marriage is that other countries have threatened war."

"War my Lord?" Kurohebi asked.

"Of course," Iwan said as matter of factually. "You think they want to see one of the largest forces under the banner of the king whose father only seventeen years ago led the demise of the Draconans, a peaceful race, simply for the sake that he could take their wealth from them? Now that he has a beast that can rip out men's throats with claws and breath fire that only causes countries to worry more. War might be a last resort to stop their kingdoms from falling to the same fate as the Draconans."

"So you expect there to be a war?" Kurohebi asked.

"I expect as much," Iwan shrugged. "Natsu will be a helpful tool when the time comes. But unfortunately we're not the only ones with a weapon like him in our arsenal."

"Really?" Kurohebi asked as he took a seat next to his lord.

"I have heard rumors," Iwan told him, "rumors that say other children of dragons have been captured and taken into other countries. I tried to keep it secret, but after the boy's outburst all those years ago word had traveled far. Many kingdoms did not believe it until one of our own military leaders spoke of it. Fortunately, King Jude had enough sense to cut off the fool's head, but by then it was too late. Our enemies knew of Natsu's existence long ago, and have resorted to their own tactics."

"So they have discovered ways to kill the boy?" Kurohebi asked. His eyes went wide as he sulked in his chair. A decade of watching the boy, insuring that he did all of Iwan's bidding only to find out that the boy may have just become obsolete made the spy uncomfortable.

"No, nothing like that," Iwan said. "I have heard rumors of others like Natsu. Whether they are true or not I have yet to see, but if they are. This war will not be easily won."

"What are we to do my Lord?" Kurohebi asked.

"I have already taken care of it my friend," Iwan let out a sly smirk. "I have invited King Jean Du-Arc to come and see if he can convince King Jude to marry Princess Lucy off to his son." Iwan leaned in. "He says that he is bringing a very interesting prospect. One that might completely sway King Jude's decision in his favor."

"What?" Kurohebi asked.

"That I can't tell you," Iwan said leaning back. "I don't want to spoil the surprise."

"I see," Kurohebi said disappointed.

"By the way," Iwan continued. "Have the princess and the slave taken their relationship to the next level? I mean, have they explored how they could potentially create a child if they decided?"

Kurohebi laughed at the remark, but even Iwan found himself in a fit of laughter. "No," Kurohebi said shaking his head. "The two of them have only kept it to minor love moments. Nothing beyond kissing and holding hands."

"So he's managed to control his the more beastly side of himself," Iwan said raising an eyebrow. "The other _beastly_ side of him. I can't say that I was the same when I was his age. By then I'm pretty sure I had already had my fill of young ladies, but never a princess. Such a feat must be admired and respected."

The two of them erupted into a fit of laughter once more. Iwan just shook his head as he thought about the two of them together. He had to give credit to the teen boy. He had known of almost every secret meeting that was shared between the princess and slave since they were children. He even monitored Lucy's training in fighting under Gildarts and Natsu, learning knew ways to defend herself. Her father had never known that the girl was visiting the lake with the two of them, and with Gildarts spending almost every night in a tavern or brothel, he never talked to the king about it either. Iwan often told the king that Lucy had gone off into town with a guard. The king never paid much mind.

"But the boy never did seal the deal," Kurohebi told him.

"True," Iwan said pursing his lips together. "But still you have to give the boy credit for getting this far."

"I guess that is true," Kurohebi said. "But now what is the plan now? Do you want me to continue watching the boy?"

"Of course," Iwan told him. "I want to know every move he makes. That boy is vital to all our plans. Everything he does, anything that happens to him is essential. That is why I'm going to need to you for something else."

"What?" Kurohebi asked.

"How do you feel about working with bandits?" Iwan asked grinning widely.

**A/N: Forgive me guys . . . forgive me  
**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Setting Out

The time had come and Jellal rode with King Duke and his company as they traveled to Konvern. King Duke rode up in the front with a couple of his advisors that were busy discussing potential plans and negotiations with King Jude. Jellal on the other hand rode near the back beside a less than excited red headed girl. She scowled and occasionally glowered at the young noble with a vicious glare. Jellal fought to hold back his smile.

"This is humiliating," Erza grumbled as she rode beside Jellal.

"What? Why?" Jellal asked with an innocent smile.

"Look at me!" she barked, but made sure to keep her voice down.

She grabbed the front part of a white apron and held it up to him, her eyes full of rage. She wore a faded egg white bandana in her hair, a crinkled tan blouse under the apron and a torn up skirt. The clothes were itchy and smelled oddly of spoiled cottage cheese, which made her nauseous. What made it worse was that she was ridding an old horse who had long since past his prime, and she could swear was covered in fleas.

"I'm supposed to be your personal guard, a knight, not some flea bitten peasant girl," Erza growled.

"Oh and what do you expect me to do?" Jellal asked raising an eyebrow. "Go, 'Good day your Majesty, do you remember that woman that you chastised and screamed at in front of half the kingdom? Well it just so happens I decided to make her my personal guard, a knight if you will. Even though you pretty much threatened to kill her for dressing up like one before. But this is still okay though right?'"

Erza didn't agree one bit with the statement, she was too beside herself to even think about it. She was incredibly uncomfortable in the disguise, and when Jellal first proposed it to her, she was against it, but it was from that very reasoning that she agreed to it in the first place. But now she had regretted it, and what infuriated her the most was how Jellal seemed to take some sort of sick pleasure in it.

"I'm supposed to be your knight remember? You hired me to protect you. How am I supposed to protect you when I look like this?" Erza hissed at him.

"As I recall you originally claimed that I did not need a personal guard," Jellal said slyly with a coy smile.

"And yet you were the one that persisted that I take you up on your offer," Erza hissed back. "Well just know this, if we do get attacked by a group of bandits, I'll make sure that I play my role as a sweet, innocent peasant girl through while you can protect me as a man of valor."

"Oh, come on Erza," Jellal chuckled. "I think you look pretty cute in that outfit."

Jellal immediately regretted his words as he saw Erza's eyes flare up as she leered at him with threatening eyes. He could see her reach slowly for her sword out of the corner of his eyes. He smiled awkwardly at her as her fingers wrapped around the grip. That was until he heard the king call out his name for him to come forward.

"Well that's my cue," Jellal said as he kicked his horse for him to go faster as he galloped up to the front.

"Jellal," Erza quipped quietly, "Jellal! We're not done here. Jellal!"

"Sorry miss," Jellal called back, "I have somewhere I need to be. We'll continue this conversation, never."

"Jellal, get back her," Erza ordered. "Jellal."

Jellal just continued to make his way to the front where the king was awaiting him and his company. That and he needed a chance to get away from Erza for a few moments. He peered back one more time and saw that Erza was still glaring at him intensely.

Once Jellal was at the front he made his way to the side of the young king. "Yes, my Lord?" he asked as soon as he had arrived.

"Jellal," the king said offering him a friendly smile, "I was just talking to my advisors about the merger and alliance with Konvern. According to them Sir Iwan, the king's right hand man, wished to discuss some concerns with me regarding the dragon the king possess."

"The king posses a dragon?" Jellal asked rather surprised. "When did this happen?"

"Well according to rumors, it isn't the dragon that my father fought against in the dragon wars, but rather a boy with certain abilities," King Duke tried to explain to him.

"And how does this boy play a factor in your negotiations to marry Princess Lucy?" Jellal asked rather puzzled.

"If the rumors are true, than the boy should prove to be an aptitude piece in future wars," King Duke informed him. "Think about it Jellal, we have one of the largest remaining armies, Konvern has vast amounts of wealth and this supposed dragon boy. With our two forces combined we would become unstoppable, and I could conquer all the kingdoms in the land, making me the supreme ruler. Iwan has already pledged the boy's loyalty to me. It's a done deal as long as King Jude signs our contract and when I marry Princess Lucy."

"Conquer all the kingdoms in the land?" Jellal said in disbelief. He could understand what had possessed the king to think in such a manner. "My Lord, did not the kingdoms come to a truce at the end of the dragon wars to prevent any future wars for at least two generations? The results of those wars were so catastrophic that they have left most countries with barely any men to defend their borders, from simple bandits and highway thieves."

"Exactly. Leaving each and everyone of them rip for the taking," he replied clenching his fist. Jellal could hear a murmur of agreement from the advisors as they all nodded with wide grins.

"But such actions would violate the treaty, that your own father himself wrote," Jellal said sternly.

"That was an agreement made by my father," King Duke retorted. "I am not my father, therefore the treaty does not apply to me."

"But you are of his house. To violate the treaty would be to disgrace his name," Jellal said shaking his head alarmed by his own king's words.

"Jellal, you are a good friend, and I have known you for many years. Your father served mine loyally all the way to his death in the dragon wars. I would expect you to be supportive in this endeavor and in my decision making rather than try and contend with me." King Duke said with a serious glare.

Jellal could see the young king had grown quite frustrated with him at that point. He decided not to pursue the argument any further. It was a lost cause, though he wanted to object with his full heart. He had grown up knowing King Duke's father, a good noble man that care about his people, and would not object them to war. That was one of the only reasons Junelle still had a strong military, since he refused to enter the wars. Jellal never understood what had compelled the king to enter the war.

"I am sorry my Lord," Jellal apologized bowing his head. "It was not my intent to anger you. I was only thinking about what your father would wish. But you are right, you are my king now and I respect that."

"Good, you should remember your place," King Duke said grimly. "When this transaction goes through I expect you to be there with me all the way through. Don't forget that."

"Yes my Lord," Jellal said calmly. "I am sorry."

After that King Duke gestured for Jellal to fall back to end of the company. The young noble agreed and slowed up his pace before turning around to return to Erza. Though he wasn't received with warm greetings upon his return. He was completely lost in thought as he reflected on the king's words.

Once he had returned he could feel the swoosh of a sword brush by the tip of his nose. Startled, he almost fell off the back of his horse as he saw the sword still in Erza's hand. She glared at him fiercely as she just strode on by him, his eyes still wide in shock.

"Nice," he said as his eyes were still transfixed in front of him as the red head passed by, "you're aim is better than I expected."

"What do you mean?" Erza murmured as she glanced back at him, "I missed."

"She missed," Jellal said nodding his head. "Of course she missed."

"So what did his Majesty want with you?" Erza asked still upset with Jellal.

"He asked me what my feelings were on his plans to start a war and invade the surrounding countries once his marriage with Princess Lucy goes through," Jellal answered.

"What?" Erza said stunned, her eyes going wide as he told her. "Doesn't that violate the treaty signed by his father and the other kings in the land?"

"It does," Jellal told her. "It violates everything that his father has stood for. This madness will only bring about destruction and ruin. If the other countries discover this coven, and believe me they will, they will band together and utter chaos will erupt."

"What has caused the king to even support this kind of madness?" Erza asked him.

"I don't know necessarily, but I remember him bringing up the name Iwan. He said that they posses a boy who has the abilities of a dragon. If this is true, it can only make the situation worse."

"What do you plan on doing about it?" Erza asked him.

"I don't know," Jellal said shaking his head. "I guess the best I can do is try and talk him out of it. Though there is no guarantee that he will listen. I hate to say it, but I believe that King Duke is becoming blinded by his own greed. He thinks that if he goes through with this he'll become the supreme ruler in the land."

"We have to stop him," Erza said distinctly as she eyed the royal from afar.

"Don't worry Erza, I'll find a way," Jellal assured her.

About a week later Natsu awoke like he did every morning and made his way to the smith shop to begin his day. It was something that kept him occupied now that Gildarts had moved on. For the most part it was easy work, not too strenuous and was easy for him to do with his gifts. He could heat up the steel or iron hot enough for him to hammer.

As he made his way he was intercepted by two guardsmen. They told him to follow them as they made their way to the gate. There Natsu saw Iwan sitting atop a horse surrounded by at least a dozen other horsemen. He wondered what was going on for no sooner had the guards escorted him to Iwan that they turned around and left.

"My Lord," Natsu said bowing his head. "What is it that you need of me?"

"My boy," Iwan greeted the teen with a friendly grin, "I would ask that you escort me and my men on a mission to the wilderness to find and dispose of the bandits that have been plaguing this land."

"Me?" Natsu said a little taken by the offer. "My Lord am I allowed? The king has forbidden me from ever leaving the castle walls." That was with the exception of his visits to the lake that were done without the king's knowledge.

"Well this time you have my permission," Natsu heard King Jude say as he walked up behind the boy. "Lord Iwan requested your personally for this mission, so I hope you don't prove a disappointment to him or I. I hope that you continue to show your dedication and loyalty to the house as you have done so for so many years now. You understand what it is that I am saying to you, right boy?"

"Yes, my Lord," Natsu said as he bowed his head.

"Good," King Jude said as he turned his eyes up to Iwan. The nobleman simply nodded his head as he turned to ride out.

As soon as Natsu raised his head he saw Princess Lucy walking just behind her father, decorated in her usual attire of a long white silk dress. Natsu made sure not to keep his eyes too focused on her, despite how beautiful she looked. Though she seemed a little puzzled to see Natsu there with Iwan and his company. Levy followed behind the young blonde equally as confused to see what was going on.

But Natsu couldn't help himself as his eyes found their way up to Lucy's. The girl stared at him with a cold glare, and though Natsu fought back the urge to smile at her, he kept his composure. He just looked away without so much as saying a word.

Natsu heard the sounds of the horse steps as he turned to see that Iwan and the others were already on the move. He turned back to face King Jude who gestured that the boy go. Natsu nodded his head and quickly sprinted to catch up to them.

"Father," Lucy asked, "why do you so freely allow the slave to leave the castle grounds?" She gazed up at him with a confused expression.

"My dear," King Jude said as he brushed a couple of hairs behind her ears, "the boy is being sent to deal with the bandit problem. Let's hope he comes through and proves himself to be a useful tool once more."

"I see," Lucy said with a hollow voice.

She turned back to watch as the pink haired teen ran behind the horses. She sighed to herself before she made her way back to the castle. Levy followed right behind her. King Jude stayed and watched them leave as well, half expecting the slave boy to take the opportunity to run.

Natsu followed behind the others, with no horse to ride on himself. They didn't ride too fast, but by the time they came to a decent stride he was able to walk up next to them. Some of the knights looked at him with unwelcoming eyes and even one knight kicked him in the back as he passed on by. Natsu just shook it off as he made his way up to the front where Iwan sat.

"My Lord," Natsu asked as soon as he caught up, "where are we going?"

"Like I said my boy," Iwan answered. "To the wilderness."

It was there that he noticed a familiar face riding beside Iwan. It was none other than Arcadios himself. Natsu was a bit surprised, since it was not often that the knight led the king's side. After all, he was the head of the king's guard.

He had changed over the years. His hair was longer and curlier than Natsu had remembered it. He had a long spiked goatee hanging off his chin. His nose was still long and square as Natsu remembered it. He was happy to see another friendly face amongst the company of hostile ones that surrounded him. It made him feel a little more comfortable all things considered.

"Arcadios?" Natsu said while still finding it hard to belive that the same night was there before him.

"It's good to see you Natsu," Arcadios said offering a friendly smile.

Natsu could sense a foot coming behind him, but chose not to react. He was more than familiar not to react, especially when it came from a guard or knight. He just simply let the foot strike him in the back.

"That is Sir Arcadios to you, slave," the horseman spat.

"Come now," Iwan interjected. "Do not treat the boy so harshly. He is just a little surprise to see a friendly face again. After all, Arcadios is the one that brought him home from the mountain."

"Sorry my Lord," the horseman grumbled, but Natsu could hear the lack of sincerity in his voice. He didn't mind it too much. He was used to abuse by the knights and they often resented him.

They made their way down the road and over the same bridge. Natsu looked down as he saw a spot that was still stained red from the blood of the knight who was killed there. Iwan and the others kept moving as they rode further and deeper into the woods.

"My Lord," Arcadios said as they journeyed farther. "Do you know where you are going?"

"Of course my old friend," Iwan answered as he kept his eyes forward. "I have learned the whereabouts of the bandits, and we are heading to their location as we speak."

"How did you obtain knowledge of their whereabouts?" Arcadios asked, a little skeptical.

"I have ears everywhere Arcadios," Iwan told him with sly smirk. "I know everything there is to know about this country. And trust me, I will guide you there now."

Arcadios just furrowed his eyebrows and scowled at the noble. He had a bad feeling at the pit of his gut as they continued to make their way forward. He kept his eyes wondering the landscape and behind every tree every bush. He felt like they were being watched by someone, or something but he said nothing. It could have just been paranoia. His eyes then fell on Natsu waiting to see if the boy could sense any disturbance around them. Though Natsu looked just as calm as Iwan. Perhaps it was just his imagination.

As they made their way down the dirt path they eventually came upon a small meadow in the middle of the wood. A shallow creek ran through it, and there they saw the ashes of an old fire and even a couple of packs and plates lying around it.

"This is it," Iwan said as he held up his hand to stop the company.

Arcadios proceeded to move forward making his way towards the smoldered flames. Once there he leapt down and took a knee by the fire pit.

"The coals are still hot," he shouted back to them as he picked up a piece of burned out coal and rubbed it between his fingertips. "They must still be near by. That or they plan on returning soon. They left a lot of items behind."

"Or they're still here," Natsu said as he felt a sudden jolt tingle it's way through his spin.

He gazed around the entire area looking to see if he could spot anything unusual. He heard the snaps of twigs and the rustle of leaves. He could feel that something was watching him. Even the horses were starting to grow uneasy. Natsu tried to find the source but he couldn't. He began to look around frantically trying to desperately find the source, but every time he looked at one spot he heard a sound come from somewhere else.

Upon seeing Natsu's actions even Arcadios began to grow a little concerned. He reached for his sheath and pulled his sword from its hold and held it out front. The other horsemen followed his lead and soon moved to encircle Iwan to protect him. The horses were still uneasy, the men trying to keep calm as a sense of worry began to emanate from them.

"Where are they," Arcadios said quietly. He heard a sound come from his left, causing him to look over in that direction. Just as he did an arrow flew in from his right and struck him high in the shoulder knocking him down into the fire pit.

"Arcadios!" Natsu yelled as what seemed like a barrage of arrows was released down upon them.

Three horsemen were struck by arrows, causing them to fall from their horses. Natsu could feel them coming as he ducked and rolled out of the way. After the first wave of arrows the men waited to see if there would be any more. But after only a moment of silence they heard the cries of at least two dozen men that stormed at them from every direction with swords and axes held high.

"No harm is to befall the nobleman," a cloaked man shouted from the trees. "You can kill the others."

Natsu saw the cloaked man from his knees, hiding high in the branches of the trees. But then he could sense it and turned his attention forward to see two men came charging at him. As soon as he got back to his feet one man swung the axe towards his head. Natsu ducked underneath it stepping forward past his attacker, sensing the other man swinging his down up him. Natsu could feel himself as he transformed back into a dragon, He spun around as the sword hit nothing but dirt, and this time Natsu brought up his claw and slashed the man's throat open. He then sensed the axe coming back at him, as he reached out to grab it mid-swing and slashed this assailant in the gut.

After those two fell dead he could see that the other horsemen desperately trying to stave off their own attackers. Two of them were thrown from their horses, another was tackled to the ground from behind. The others couldn't gallop anywhere and fought on horseback slashing and stabbing at anyone who came near them. Natsu saw as a man from a far shot an arrow striking one of the knights in the guts, giving some of the men on foot the chance to grab him and pull him down from his horse.

It was then that Natsu saw Iwan sitting there watching them all. The look of horror on his face as he watched a horseman in front him was stabbed from behind. Natsu ran over and leapt high into the air barreling down at the bandit who had just slain the horseman. The swordsman didn't even see him coming, but as soon as Natsu was upon him, he slashed the man's face, fractures of skin, bone and brain flew from the open gash as the man fell limp to the ground.

He sensed another sword coming from behind him. He ducked low to his knees as he spun around in one fluid movement and slashed this assailant through the gut. A loud scream was bellowed from his as he drop the sword and collapsed to the ground. Another assailant came from his side swinging an axe. Natsu just simply took a step to the side, spinning as he did so letting his arm fly through the air and striking the man's jugular.

Acradios managed to pick himself up from the fire pit, pulling the arrow out as he stood up. He winced and cried in pain as it left his body. Fortunately, the arrow didn't go too deep thanks to his armor and chainmail, but it still hurt.

He took couple of deep breaths to calm himself down, but heard a loud yell as a man came charging from the right sword up high. The man came down swinging as Arcadios deflected and swung his own sword up slicing the man's throat. Blood sprayed out covering Acradios' face with the warm red liquid. He heard another scream from behind him as he quickly turned around, stepping into the attack and head-butted his assailant in the nose. For the moment the man was stunned, blood pouring from his nose, giving Arcadios the opportunity to stab the man through the gut. Just as he did another sword came down upon him. He ducked out of the way, ripping his sword from the body of the second man as he swung it around striking slicing this man through the gut.

Arcadios did not have more than a second before another man came charging in on him with an axe waving. He swung it, but then he dodged it. The bandit swung like a mad man swinging each and every direction he could, Arcadios backing up to avoid it. The bandit eventually brought it straight down hitting the dirt, leaving an opening for him to simply bring his sword up and stab this man through his chest before Arcadios shoved him away with his foot.

Arcadios was lost for breath as an arrow was shot just passed the tip of his nose. He saw a bandit standing near a tree only a few meters away. The bandit was busy pulling an arrow from a quiver on his back. Arcadios reached down to his belt, and before the bandit had a chance to pull the arrow back on the string Acradios hurtled a dagger straight at him, hitting the man in the heart.

It was then he saw another bandit approach him and in a flash this assailant was on him before he had a chance to really react. Arcadios swung his sword, but it was caught by the bandit's own hands and was pried away and thrown to the side. Arcadios felt himself stumble forward at the sheer force of this bandits hands, but was soon kicked in the gut and knocked to the ground.

Natsu caught a swinging arm of one last bandit as he stepped up in one powerful blow gouged his claw deep into the bandit. The man gasped in pain as Natsu ripped his hand from the inside of the man before letting him fall limp to the ground. Natsu looked up seeing that he and Iwan were all that remained of their company, them and Arcadios.

"Arcadios!" Natsu said out loud as he sudden realized the other knight was still not amongst them.

Natsu whirled around to see a bandit standing over Arcadios now his foot on Arcadios' sternum. Natsu didn't waste any time was he made a mad dash for the knight. Just as he came upon the bandit he came in swinging, but to his surprise the bandit ducked and spun around striking Natsu in the gut hurdling him sideways as he collided into a tree.

Natsu gasped for air as he slid down the bark and onto his back. He had been struck many times before, but never had someone hit him with such force. He cringed as he tried to sit back up. Never before had anyone managed to hurt him like that before.

He peered up to see the bandit approaching him slowly. Natsu's eyes went wide as he noticed that bandit approaching him had the same eyes, the same scaly skin and claws as he did. This bandit had long, spikey black hair and metal piercings on his brows. He had to be about a year or two older than Natsu, He smirked slyly as he took a couple of steps closer to the pink teen.

"So," he scoffed folding his arms across his chest, "this is the Dragon of Konvern?"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Sons of the Dragons

The bandit stood over the pink haired teen, both of them glaring fiercely at each other. Natsu slowly picked himself up, the spot of the blow throbbing in pain. He winced as he finally managed to get to his feet, the bandit staring him down with his arms folded across his chest. Once Natsu was on his feet the bandit snickered at him, taking a step back and readying himself.

Natsu didn't say a word as he rushed straight towards his opponent at full speed. Once he was in a few meters of his opponent he could hear the sound of Gildart's words echoing through his memory. "Don't rush your opponent head on without a plan. They will just use your force against you, if they're well trained enough." Natsu realized that he had completely neglected the words of his mentor. But by the time thought about it, he realized that it was too late. The bandit ducked his shoulder causing Natsu tumble over him as he was grabbed and thrown to the dirt.

Natsu allowed himself to roll across rocks and grass as he saw the bandit rushing towards him this time. Natsu took his own stance as he shot in for the legs tackling the assailant by the legs. The bandit sprawled on him, wrapping his arm around Natsu's neck as Natsu drove him backwards until his feet slid to a stop. Natsu was stunned for a moment, never before had any opponent managed to thwart any of his tackles before, except for Gildarts. The bandit took then lifted Natsu up and began to knee the pink teen in the chest repeatedly before throwing Natsu down to the ground again.

As soon as Natsu regained his composure the bandit kicked the pink haired teen square in the nose, causing blood to burst forth like a facet as he tumbled backwards. Blood oozed from his broken nose, soaking both his face and shirt. He simply wiped it away as he tried to pull himself back up to his feet. He noticed that his vision had begun to go blurry. For a moment it appeared as though the teen standing before him was swaying. He couldn't keep his feet and his legs gave way from underneath him, allowing him to face plant into the dirt.

Soon he could sense that there was a hand reaching down for him. Before he could react he was pulled up by his hair, letting out a hollow shrill. He took a couple of deep breaths, his vision still blurry. He could see the long black hair and metal piercings smirking there in front of him before he was struck with a blow to the cheek and knocked back down to the ground. He coughed violently as he felt himself being pulled up by the hair once more. Again he was struck with a punch to the cheek and knocked back down. His head was throbbing as he could feel blood from a fresh wound trickle down his chin.

"This is the Dragon of Konvern?" the bandit spat as he kicked Natsu in the gut. The boy wailed in pain, grasping at the spot where he was struck. He just coughed some more and each and every breath he took only seemed to cause him more pain. "Nothing but a weak dog who has not mastered his own strength. Pathetic. What a disgrace. And here you are serving you own people's enemies like some worthless dog." He kicked Natsu with a furious leg, causing the boy to wail out even more pain.

Natsu bowled over feeling all the air escape from his lungs. They burned like he had never felt them burn before. He felt so nauseated and in pain. His head was becoming light, his jaw throbbing and the blood still oozing from his gaping wounds. The bandit sighed in disappointment as he stood over the battered and beaten boy. For Natsu, it felt like the pain was radiating though his entire body, his blood boiling and his muscles going weak. He placed a shaky hand underneath him as he rose back up to his feet. He shook his head, cursing himself under his breath. How could he forget his lessons so easily?

This opponent was none like he had ever faced before. He was strong, agile and quick. Every other opponent he was forced to fight were normal humans. Sure their blows could hurt him, but this man was different. He had an immense amount of strength and he could hurt the boy unlike anyone before could. Gildarts was the only man Natsu had ever fought that could have brought him to his knees. But this man was different.

But just then Natsu could feel a burning sensation in his gut. It was like the one that he had felt when he transformed into a best, but this time it was more extreme, like the time he blacked out and had lost himself. He took a deep breath as all the pain in his body just seemed to melt away. Even the blood that was gushing from his wounds had ceased. His eyes were becoming a slightly deeper amber, with a hint of red, and the white of his eyes going black.

The bandit watched him with skeptical eyes, figuring that Natsu was attempting one last desperate attempt to keep on fighting. He just laughed as he stepped in to throw one more punch. Natsu took a deep breath, watching as it seemed that the bandit's hand was moving slowly, as though through water. He didn't just see it, but he could feel it. His eyes focused in as the fist was inching towards him, a twitch moved through his body as though taking control over it's own movements. In the blink of an eye Natsu reached up and grabbed the bandit's fist mid-strike, clenching down hard. The bandit was a bit shocked to see that Natsu had caught him so easily, and even more so as he felt the bones in his knuckles crack. He yelled out in pain as he fell to a knee.

He took a couple of deep breaths to relive some of the pain his was feeling in his hand. When h peered back up at the pink haired teen, Natsu simply clenched down harder causing the boy to let out another wail. The bandit sucked in air through his nostrils as he glared at Natsu, his eyes full of rage. He tried to stand back to his feet, but Natsu applied more pressure onto the bandit's wrist as he could have sworn that bones had cracked. The bandit howler as he grasped at Natsu's arm prying at his hand in a desperate attempt to break the boy's grip. Natsu just stood there firm in his stance, and unmoving.

Natsu smirked as he applied even more pressure causing the bandit to cry out in pain as he fell to his free elbow. The bandit winced summoning all the power he could as he leapt to his feet and upper cut the pink haired boy just hard enough that the grip on his arm was broken.

Once freed the bandit took a few steps backwards clenching his arm. It throbbed in a bright pink, the hand feeling numb. He shook it hoping to relieve some of the pain, but it was useless. He panted hard, glaring up at Natsu with infuriated eyes s the pink haired teen seemed unfazed by the blow. He simply rubbed his chin, smirking all the while.

The bandit growled rushing at Natsu with a fist raised high. Natsu could feel it coming, just like before. It all seemed to slow down, as he could see each and every one of the boy's movements coming towards him. He stood there firm until the bandit was within a step of the pink haired teen before Natsu instinctively spun around letting the swing pass on by his body. He then continued his spin raising his own fist and back handing the black hair teen in the back of the head. He struck him so hard that the other boy just face planted down into the dirt skidding along the rocks and grass.

The bandit shook his head free lifting himself up off the ground as Natsu took a couple of steps closer to him. Meanwhile, Iwan watched with keen interest as the two young teenage boys fought. He had never before seen such a battle. He had seen skilled warriors before, but nothing like the two dragons before him. There was some sick satisfaction he got as he watched the two of them pummel one another, seeing the blood and wounds. He kept his interest in the fight, but his attention was drawn away as he heard the sounds of loud groans. As Iwan turned to see where the source of the noise, he spotted Arcadios hunched over on the ground near the fire pit.

Iwan sighed to himself riding closer to the knight, but he made sure to keep his eyes on the two teens. He did not want to miss a single moment of this. Once his horse stepped next to the aching knight he peered down to see Arcadios was still on his knees breathing deeply. Arcadios had removed the arrow from his shoulder, blood oozed from the wound soaking his armor.

"How are you holding up?" Iwan asked him raising an eyebrow.

"I am fine my Lord," Arcadios grunted as he looked up at the noble. "It's nothing more than a minor wound so there is no need to worry about me. How is the boy holding up?"

Iwan looked over to see walking towards the bandit. "Better," Iwan said nodding his head. "Can you stand?"

"Yes, I think so," Arcadios moaned as he got to a knee only to collapse back to the ground.

"Why don't you rest a while longer, Sir Arcadios?" Iwan suggested. "You are in no shape to push yourself any further. For now the danger has ceased, and the boy seems like he can handle it from here."

The bandit roared as he leapt up from the ground. He was seething now, his face going red from frustration and anger. He wondered just how Natsu could have recovered so easily. What happened to him? He was defeated only moments ago, but now he seemed like he was a completely different person?

He turned around and swung his fist at Natsu who just ducked. The bandit proceeded to throw in another punch with his other hand, which Natsu just dodged by stepping nonchalantly to the side. Again the bandit threw punch after punch as Natsu easily ducked, side-stepped and avoided each and every time tiring out the other teen. The bandit began to grow frustrated as he continued to throw his arms in a frantic manner, as Natsu just dodged each and every on coming blow.

The bandit bent over gasping for breath as he could feel himself becoming tired. He threw in another punch, but it was weak and slow, Natsu brushed it away with a soft swipe of the hand. He then threw an uppercut, colliding his fist with the lower jaw of his opponent, hurdling the other teen into the air as fell hard onto his back. The black haired teen growled as he rolled back onto his feet. In a flash Natsu ran up and kicked the bandit hard in the side of the head knocking him over as blood squirted from a gash that formed just above his brow.

The bandit returned to his knees as he glowered at Natsu, blood spewing from his lips. He wiped it away as he now felt a burning sensation in the pit of his gut. Something unlike he had ever felt before, it didn't hurt, it felt natural as he could feel it consume his body. Natsu saw something interesting, the whites of the bandits eyes turned black with the lenses turning a deep amber yellow. They became just like the pink haired teen as it appeared that all wounds ceased bleeding and the bandit had lost all pain in his body as he stood up.

The two of them stared at one another before they both made a mad dash at each other. The bandit swung for a high punch, which Natsu ducked under, while in motion Natsu swung his own leg up for a kicked only to have it blocked by the bandit. The two of them fought each one throwing punch after punch, kick after kick only for the other to deflect or dodge it. It was all streamed together one after the other, neither one of them seemed to be giving way.

Arcadios watched, still on his hands and knees with Iwan. He was stunned to see them move in such swift movements he could barely keep track on who was moving and who was dodging. It was all one big blur to him. He took a deep breath and with a loud yell he lifted himself back up to his feet, grabbing Iwan's saddle in order to keep himself upright.

Natsu finally managed to lay a blow, directly in the gut of his opponent causing him to bend over as Natsu proceeded to grab him by the head and punched the bandit square on the jaw. Natsu reached in to grasp the bandit, but the bandit broke away jumping back a couple of steps before he inhaled a deep breath and belched out roaring flames. Natsu shielded himself with his arms, but the top half of his body was consumed by the fire.

"Natsu!" Arcadios cried as he watched the flames sear around the top half of the boy's frame. But as soon as the flames ceased, his eyes went wide in sheer shock as he saw the pink haired teen standing there with charcoaled fragments of his shirt drifting off in the breeze while the rest of his body remained completely unscathed.

"A dragon cannot be hurt by fire," Iwan cried in sheer joy. He was incredibly happy to see this type of display. Arcadios looked up at him seeing a wide smirk across the noble's slips before gazing back down at the two fighting teens.

The bandit growled as he saw Natsu was completely unhurt. He ran in one last time claw waving. Natsu took the opportunity to step aside, grabbing the bandits wrist and hurtling the bandit into a tree. Natsu continued his attack, while the bandit was a bit gazed. He slashed his claw across the other teen's face opening up a gaping wound, however it seemed that no blood was pouring out of it. But that didn't stop him. Natsu then kneed the bandit in the gut before grabbing his head and head-butting him in the nose to which the bandit's head collided with the tree.

Exhausted the black haired teen fell over in a slump. He panted heavily as his head was hunched over. Natsu stood over him waiting for the other teen to stand back up, but he didn't. The bandit just grumped as he peered back up at Natsu. It seemed like he was all but done with the fight. His eyes reverted back to their natural form. It was after he had gone back to normal that he stood up. He struggled at first, his body trembling.

Natsu waited for him to get to his feet before he swung a punch in and knocked the bandit out cold. Natsu stared at the now motionless bandit, but soon found his returning to normal as all the pain in his body erupted within him at once. Natsu let out a loud scream as he fell to his knees, both from the sheer pain that overcame him and for his victory. He took a couple of deep breaths before he fell down to his back, grinning widely.

Natsu laid there on his back as he heard he sound of horse hooves approach. He couldn't move, his body ached too much and blood began to leak out from new wounds he didn't even realize he received during the fight. He had trouble breathing, each breath feeling like it was going to burst open his lungs, but he just continued to suck in the sweet, reviving gas. He lost himself in his victory wanting nothing more than to relish the moment.

"Congratulations my young lad," Iwan complimented as he looked down at Natsu from a top his horse, "you won a splendid victory."

"Th-thanks," Natsu moaned still smirking widely.

Acradios stumbled towards the two of them, still hunched over. The wound from where the arrow struck him was gushed a lot of blood causing his head to go light. He pressed his hand over applying pressure. He panted each and every breath. He pulled out his sword and made his way over to the unconscious bandit. He took a step closer to him and stopped. While peering down he raised his sword into the air and was ready strike down the final blow.

"Sir Arcadios," Iwan said stopping the knight before he could stab the bandit, "stay your hand. I think the young man is defeated. He doesn't need to be killed right now."

"Then what would you ask me to do my Lord?" Arcadios asked as he lowered his blade.

"Let's take the young bandit with us," Iwan said. "I think it would be more beneficial to us if we were to keep him alive."

"I think that he is too dangerous to keep alive my Lord," Arcadios retorted. "He can breath fire, and he has claws. He's a beast—" he stopped himself as he looked down at Natsu. Arcadios thought about what he said as soon regretted it. "He's just too dangerous to keep alive."

"I don't think we need to worry," Iwan told him. "I think our Dragon of Konvern here is more than capable of handling him."

Arcadios bowed his head as he walked over. He tapped the bandit with his foot to insure that he was truly out. After confirming that the bandit was in no position to fight back he picked him up and dragged his motionless body to one of the horses. He wheezed in pain with each and every step, his eyes flickering back at Iwan seeing the noble made no attempt to help him. Once he got the bandit to the horse he tied the bandits hands and feet.

Natsu still laid on the ground immobile. After Arcadios had finished tying up the bandit he made his way over to Natsu. He offered the slave boy a hand, but Natsu was too weak to even move his arm. Arcadios sighed as he reached down and helped pick the boy up. Natsu winced and exhaled a breath of pain as he did so. Arcadios wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulders and carried him over to Iwan's horse.

"Is the boy incapable of riding his own horse?" Iwan asked raising an eyebrow.

"He isn't even capable of lifting an arm, let alone ride a horse," Arcadios grumbled.

Iwan sighed rolling his eyes as he helped Arcadios lift the boy up onto his own horse.

"What are we to do about the rest of the horses?" Iwan asked as he peered back.

Only three other horses remained after the others were either killed in combat or ran away. Bodies littered the terrain, while blood soaked the grass and dirt.

"Nothing," Arcadios sighed. "We have neither the time, nor the strength to gather them all together."

The sight of all his men lying there dead brought a tear to Arcadios' eye, but he could not dwell on it. He limped over to where they lay wishing that he could give them a proper burial. But at the same time he knew that he could not waste any more time. His wound was too grave and with Natsu in his condition needed medical help. Not to mention the bandit.

He bowed his head paying respect to the fallen before he returned to his own horse and hopped on. Natsu on the other hand rested his head against the Iwan's back, the blood staining the noble's robe. He managed to move, but he was barely able to turn his head back to the trees back to where he remembered seeing the cloaked man. But he was nowhere to be seen. Natsu sighed closing his eyes letting himself fall asleep.

After a long trip the group made their way back to the castle. When the four of them arrived back at the main gate, Iwan nudged Natsu from his sleep. Upon waking up the boy could still feel his body ache terribly but at least he was able to move at this point. Once he sat up he cringed, grabbing at his abdominals as they burned with immense pain.

"Are you all right, boy?" Iwan asked as he turned back to the boy.

"Yeah," Natsu mumbled under his breath. "I'll be fine, my Lord."

Natsu turned over to see Arcadios riding hunched over on his horse. The bandit rested on the back but he was still unconscious.

It was nightfall by the time the four of them arrived back at the town square. Arcadios and Iwan rode their horses through the town until they came upon the castle walls. Once they entered the castle grounds they came to a stop. Two guards helped Arcadios from his horse as they took him inside the castle to receive medical attention.

When Iwan leapt down from his own horse as a servant rushed over to grab the reigns. When Iwan had moved Natsu had lost all the support that had kept him upright as he slid and fell to the ground hard. He groaned in pain as a couple of guards snickered at him.

"Someone help the boy," Iwan ordered. "And send for the king."

Two slaves reached down and picked the boy back up to his feet only to have him fall down again. They exchanged laughs as they picked him up again, only this time one of the slaves stood there to hold him up. As soon as he was on his feet the king, followed by Lucy, Levy and several other nobles walked up to them.

"Good evening Lord Iwan, how did your mission go?" King Jude asked as he walked up and hugged Iwan.

"It was successful my Lord," Iwan answered. "But at a dear price. We lost many good men this day. But I am thankful that we had Natsu there. Without him I fear that Arcadios and myself would have been slain that day."

"Well it's good to see that the time we invested in the slave has come to pay dividens," King Jude said patting the nobleman on the shoulder.

Natsu took a deep breath, but he still couldn't uphold himself without the help of the other slave. He gazed up long enough to see Princess Lucy standing there beside her father, a look of horror on her face. He wondered what it was that could have startled the young lady. Lucy's eyes went wide as she saw the half naked boy with his blood stained face, open wounds that were still leaking some blood and bruised covered body. She wanted to rush over to him, but she knew she couldn't.

"And what do we have here?" King Jude said gesturing towards the tied up bandit.

"One of the bandits my Lord," Iwan answered.

He motioned for one of the slaves to take the young man down. Once they had cut one of the ropes, the bandit fell to the ground in a loud thump. The black haired teen moaned as he rolled on the ground. Natsu found himself growing more enraged as he watched the king strike the bandit. He wanted to hate the other teen for what he did, but there was still some compassion. He realized that the boy was just like him, a Draconan who was also a beast.

"I see, a prisoner. Why bother sparing him anyways?" King Jude asked.

"Because this boy is special my Lord," Iwan said eagerly. "You see this boy is a Draconan, but not just any Draconan. For you see this boy is exactly like our young Natsu here."

"So he can transform into a beast as well?" King Jude asked raising an eyebrow.

Natsu twitched as he heard the king speak, yet those words stung him. Even though he grew up hearing it from people he could never get used to it. He tried to keep it hidden from the populous but people still remembered that day from so many years ago. He knew that the king was speaking of Natsu directly, but the words still stung nonetheless.

"Yes, my Lord," Iwan answered. "This boy can transform himself: claws, eyes, and scales. It was quite a sight to see as two children of dragons fought one another in a duel to the death.

"I did not know that there were other Draconans like our slave," King Jude said as he walked over and peered over the teenaged boy. "How could this have happened?"

"I do not know my Lord," Iwan answered. "But I'm sure that we can ask the boy once he comes too."

"Wake up boy," King Jude demanded as he kicked bandit's side.

The young man coughed violently as he flinched under the blow. The bandit rolled over in pain. Natsu grimaced as he saw the king strike the severely injured teen.

"Now stand up," the king ordered. But the bandit did not. He couldn't his body was in too much pain. Though he didn't have to, two servants walked over and lifted him up so that he was facing the king. "What is your name?" King Jude asked once the boy was lifted up.

"Gajeel," he muttered.

At that point everyone could see his battered and bruised face. He was not better than Natsu, except for the large gash that went from cheek to cheek. Some of the nobles were turned away by his grotesque appearance.

"I see, and you were the one who attacked my daughter and killed my men?" King Jude asked sternly.

"No," he grumbled. "I don't remember attacking any women. But yeah, I was the one that slaughtered you men." He smirked at the king but was slapped hard across the face.

"You think that's funny?" King Jude snarled.

"Hilarious," the bandit snickered.

"Well, we'll just see how long you laugh after a few lashings put you back in your place," King Jude sneered. "Take him down to the dungeons."

Natsu watched as the slaves dragged the bandit away. Gajeel couldn't fight back. He was in too much pain. He sagged his head as the nobles stood aside letting the slaves by pass. As he was carried away he passed by one person in particular, a small young teenaged girl with long blue hair. For a split second the boy peered up as their two eyes met.

The girl stared at him with a bleak expression. She could see his eyes full of pain, anger and anguish. She felt sympathetic for him though she had no idea who he was. She could see how defeated he was, the scars of his fight still eminent and the humiliation he must have felt being seen in such a state in front of all these people. She knew that he was a bandit, and that meant that he was a low life who had pillage and killed people, but she couldn't help but feel sorry.

Once that split second was over they continued to lug him away before he disappeared behind a doorway that led down to the dungeons.

"And as for you young slave," King Jude said walking over to Natsu. "It seems that you really pulled through in the end. Now, return to your quarters."

"Father," Lucy interjected. "Don't you think that slave should be treated for his wounds? He does look rather fatigued and wounded."

"What?" King Jude asked raising an eyebrow. "And waste the doctors time on a slave? Lucy I would think you would have more sense than that. Our doctor's time is too valuable to waste on a slave. Escort him back to his quarters. I expect him to be up and ready for his duties tomorrow."

"My Lord if I may," Iwan said trying to interject.

"No, you may not," King Jude snipped.

Natsu felt himself being pulled away by the other two slaves, his feet dragging against the dirt. Though there was something in him that compelled him to stand up right as he shook the other two slaves off. It wasn't the most well thought out plan as he legs gave way underneath him once again as he collapsed once more. A chuckle of laughter echoed from the crowd of nobles, as Lucy looked on in worry. She wanted to comfort him, but knew she could not. Natsu struggled, swiping away the hands of the other slaves as he finally managed to lift himself back to his feet.

"My lord," Natsu interjected. He had no idea why he was speaking out of term, but he felt obliged. "Please, I cannot even stand let alone work. I ask that you relieve me of my duties for just one day."

"What did you say?" King Jude growled. "You dare skip out on your responsibilities? You have no say in the matter slave. If you cannot work, you will be thrown in jail with the other scum. Or is it that you feel compelled to follow your fellow beast down below?"

"Then send me down," Natsu spat. "Because I will not work tomorrow."

"Very well," King Jude sighed. "Guards, escort this filth down to the dungeons as well."

Two guards bowed their heads as they complied. They grabbed Natsu under the arms and carried him off in the same direction as Gajeel. King Jude glared at him as he watched the pink haired teen lugged away. Lucy wanted to interject, but Natsu shook his head at her. He knew that it was something he had to do. There were so many questions, and there was no other way he was going to get the opportunity.

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait guys. Had to re-write this one at least three or four different times. Hope you guys enjoy it. Also, I would like to say thank you guys for the 100+ reviews. It really means a lot.  
**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The Prisoners

The dungeons were a cold, dark, damp and gloomy place. Moss, grim and feces stained the stone walls, as water leaked from each and ever crack and crevice. From where it originated from, no one knew, nor would they ever want to know. The bars of the cells were jagged from age and rust, yet still strong enough to keep those locked on the inside at bay. Hay lined floors, and apart from that, the only other object in the cells were buckets for excrement. Though, none of them appeared to have been emptied in quite some time.

Natsu found himself being pulled down one of the narrow hallways, the only light emanating from torches that aligned the walls. Torches that had smoldered into nothing more than burning coals than full on flames. A horrid and rancid smell filled the air of the dungeons, enough to make Natsu want to hurl, but his gut was in too much pain for him to do so. Eventually they came upon a cell, small and narrow, the back nothing more than jagged rock, as Natsu was thrown in with the sound of the screeching door shut behind him.

Natsu found himself laying there on the ground, unmoving as his eyes began to heavy. Before he knew it he was in a deep sleep.

The next morning he was stirred away by the splash of freezing cold water. The boy jolted sweeping around trying to remember where he was when he heard the snickering of one of the prison guards standing over him with a bucket. His head was throbbing and every muscle in his body ached uncontrollably that he could nothing but fall down to his back. He growled, as he heard another splash come from the cell next door. Natsu forced himself to turn his head to see the other Draconan teen get stirred awake as well. And just like him, this teen was also dazed and confused.

The putrid smell had not gone away, making his head hurt even worse. Natsu just wanted to throw up and go back to sleep right there despite the hard stone floor and itchy hay. Not to mention being soaking wet in with frigid water didn't help. The draft in the dungeon only made it worse, as Natsu finally managed to pull himself back up to his knees wrapping his arms around his body to generate some type of warmth.

"Where the hell am I?" he heard Gajeel groan from the cell next to his.

Natsu was too cold to say anything to the other teen. His body was shivering uncontrollably as he tried to stay warm. That was until he felt a rumbling in his stomach that eventually allowed him to belch fire. For a moment it warmed him up, as the water evaporated from his skin. He heard a similar sound in the cell next his as he saw Gajeel doing the same exact thing.

As he peered over Gajeel looked up at the same time, both of them catching the other's eye. "What are you looking at?" Gajeel glowered. Natsu could hear a quiver his voice as he rubbed his knees.

"Nothing," Natsu quipped. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing," Gajeel growled back.

For a moment the two of them sat there both trying to warm themselves up. Eventually Natsu found himself feeling better as he slowly crawled over to the side of his cell. He noticed that Gajeel did the same as the two of them rested their backs against the hard iron bars. This time the two of them were facing each other once more, but neither said a word.

Natsu leered at him, and Gajeel did the same. Neither one of them were able to move beyond the spots they were sitting in. The only silence came from them as the cries of a man down the corridor along with the echo of a snapping whip. It didn't faze Natsu or Gajeel, after all it was a dungeon. A couple of guards walked by, seeing the two of them sitting there. The attempted to provoke the two of them with taunts and ridicule but the boys remained in silence.

Eventually Natsu could bear the tension any longer. "So," he said with a deep breath. "You're a Draconan as well?"

"No shit," Gajeel scoffed rolling his eyes.

It was then in that moment Natsu's eyes noticed something he hadn't seen before. There on the other teen's arm was written the word _Gajeel_, much like his own: same letters, markings and everything. It was strange because Natsu had thought it to be a brand that he was given when he was a child to mark that he was a slave. It was strange to him since none of the other Draconans had a mark like that on their arms. He thought he was the only one.

"What are you looking at?" Gajeel asked sternly as he could see Natsu staring at his arm.

"That tattoo," Natsu said as he managed to raise his hand and point, "where did you get it?"

"This?" Gajeel asked raising a brow. He held up his arm in the dim light for a better view. "I don't know. I've had it ever since I could remember. Don't know what it means, but I assume that it was my name."

"Same," Natsu said holding out his outstretched arm as well, revealing a similar tattoo to the other boy.

"So what does this mean?" Gajeel snickered sarcastically. "That we're buddy buddies now? Just cause we have the same type of tattoos does not mean that we're somehow the same all right?"

"But we're both Draconans, and we both can transform into—" Natsu couldn't finish his thought. He didn't know what to end with. He couldn't bear to call himself a monster or a beast, but the more he thought about it, the more he was believing that he was becoming one. "I thought I was the only one." He exhaled with a deep breath.

"Well I only just heard about you a while ago," Gajeel replied. "I didn't believe it at first, but I guess you can say the rumors were true. Most people didn't believe it, heck most people still don't believe it, but I guess you can say that I was kind of hopeful to see what it would be like to find another just like me. But then I find out that you're some bitch, sworn to protect the house of the very man whose father eradicated and enslaved our people."

Gajeel's words stung him as the memory of the three slaves that he fought when he was a young child flooded into his mind once more. Their words, and the words of all the other Draconan slaves were the same. That he was a traitor, a dog that sold his soul to the king. Of course he had never told anyone that he only swore to protect Princess Lucy and only Lucy. Though no one knew that apart from him, and maybe Gildarts.

"It wasn't like I had a choice in the matter," Natsu growled. "It wasn't like I had a choice. I was brought here to be a slave when I was a baby. I had no idea how to control my powers, and all I've done is work as a slave. I have no family, no friends, no one that cares about me," he closed his eyes as an image of Lucy appeared in his mind's eye.

"And you helped kill my friends out in the wood yesterday," Gajeel glowered. "So sorry if I don't have any sympathy for you."

"Well considering you're bandits, and that you tried to kill Princess Lucy, and me, I can say that I don't have much sympathy for your group of murders either," Natsu snapped back.

"You think we're murders?" Gajeel snorted. "We were scavenging for food, and yes we attacked a few nobles. We starve and scrape together whatever we can to survive. Konvern's nobles take everything from the people leaving them nothing but scraps. I myself am not native to Konvern, I have traveled around, but don't you dare call my men murders. They did what they did because they had to. This country is going to hell and the king is too much a fool to realize it."

"He does realize it though," Natsu sighed as he sat back. "That's why he's marrying off his daughter to the Prince of Juvelle. He's hoping that their combined forces will make him powerful again."

"Man and I thought that things couldn't get much worse," Gajeel said taking a deep breath. He slid a hand through his messy main before leaning back farther against the iron on his back. The two sat in silence once more. As time passed they seemed to mellow out a bit, neither one of them exchanged glares. Perhaps it was because they were too tired, or they just didn't feel like getting into a verbal fight at the moment. But after awhile Gajeel spoke again, "So why?"

"Why what?" Natsu asked raising an eyebrow.

"Why swear allegiance to Jude? The man enslaved you and who pretty much resent. Why don't you just get up and leave? Who's going to stop you?" Gajeel asked seriously.

Natsu closed his eyes, picturing him and Lucy sitting together by the lake. Her honey silk hair resting against his cheeks, her soft cherry lips that tasted sweeter than the finest candy in any land. He could still feel the touch of her soft, gentle skin against his. The two of them sitting there in the grass watching as fish swam by the edge; nestled in their own little world. He would sit there as gaze upon her wide chocolate eyes full of sweetness and love.

The moment brought a smile to the boy. The memory served as a small fragment of light in this otherwise dull, dark world he was currently in. She was the reason he stayed, but he couldn't tell Gajeel that. He would escape if she were to come with him, but as long as she remained, so would he. He remembered the words she had recently spoke to him.

"Where else am I supposed to go?" Natsu sighed leaning back. "I don't know the lay of the land, and the king's men would hunt me down. I don't know if I could live a life on the run. What am I supposed to live for? Who am I supposed to live for? Would I only endanger anyone I cared about by leaving?"

"That's what I thought too," Gajeel sighed looking up at the ceiling. He could see a large spider web with a few flies caught in the web. "I was eight, or nine when I was first alone. I can't exactly remember, it was so long ago. I only just came upon those bandits a couple of months ago, thought I join in. They had food, wine, and occasionally women, so I figured that be as good as I was ever going to get."

"So I guess we're not so different after all," Natsu chuckled to himself. "I have to admit I'm kind of excited to know that I'm not the only other person that can become different."

"Yeah," Gajeel sighed with a nod, "except I'm not a little bitch."

"I'm sorry, I'm having a little trouble remembering, but who was it that won the fight between us again?" Natsu snickered. Gajeel was more than a little un-amused by the critique. He went back to scowling as Natsu just grinned widely at him.

"Laugh it up Pinky, laugh it up," Gajeel growled. "Once I get my strength back I'm melting through these bars and heading back out on my way towards freedom."

"Yeah," the thought just occurred to Natsu, "I guess we can just melt through these bars. I wonder why they hadn't thought about that when they threw us in here?"

Natsu did wonder why. It wouldn't make any sense if the two of them could just melt the bars and leave. He guessed the king must have forgotten that they could do that. The idea made him laugh to himself as he could picture the next day when Gajeel was better, that the teen would just stand up, breath some fire and be gone before anyone even took notice. It's not like the bars would hold up, they were have decayed already.

"I guess the king really is a fool than?" Gajeel snickered. "How do you forget such an important detail as fire breathing?"

"Maybe he forgot you're just like me," Natsu suggested. "You know we are both Draconans, perhaps it's stupid for us to fight each other. We could possibly be the only two of our kind in teh world. I know that we were just trying to kill each other the other day, but wouldn't it be better if we worked together?"

"I don't really know," Gajeel said shaking his head. "I don't know you, and in the past few hours I've known you; you've knocked me unconscious, captured me and had me thrown in a dungeon cell. With a very interesting smell. So what makes you think that you and I are going to suddenly become best friends?"

"Because you and I are one in the same," Natsu told him. "I don't like you and you don't like me. But if all we do is try to kill each other we'll never discover who we really are. Where we come from and what makes us who we are. I'm tired of living as a slave, but I have nowhere to go. How about we just start from scratch, and forget the whole quarrel ever happened. Apart from me beating your ass that is."

Gajeel furrowed his eyebrows as he watched Natsu laughed. But he couldn't help but think the boy's offer over. The two of them were alone now, or at least he knew that he was. He could use a powerful ally like him. The question was whether or not he could trust them. Natsu was in fact responsible for all of his current situation. Then again, perhaps the two could gain a mutual benefit by working together. After pondering it over long and hard he thought that maybe the two of them could work together.

"You said that you didn't know where you would go," Gajeel began to say. "What if we left together? I know we didn't exactly get off on the right foot, but I figure that two dragons would be better than one? And I know my way around these parts pretty well. I think we could manage. After all, I am alone now thanks to you."

Natsu was shocked by the sudden proposal. He thought about it, and he knew that it could work. The two of them could stave off any enemy that came after him. But if he did choose to leave, that would mean that he would have to leave Lucy behind as well. He couldn't do it. He knew that she was getting married soon, real soon. Her birthday was only a couple of days away and Duke was due to arrive any day now. Sure the wedding wouldn't take place immediately, but they still didn't have that much time.

He wanted to convince her to go with them. Maybe if she knew that Gajeel was there too she would feel better protected. Then again Gajeel was part of the group that attacked her. She may be more unwilling to go knowing that one of them traveling with her was part of the band of thieves that had shot arrows at her. The choice was hard and he knew that he couldn't leave Lucy, but he couldn't stay here as a slave the rest of his life. Natsu had to know what Lucy's choice was, though he knew that she was against the idea before.

"You know what, Natsu said grinning at the other teen. "That sounds like a good plan."

Meanwhile upstairs in the castle Lucy sat near her bedroom window in her light pink nightgown. She could see the outline of the trees just over the wall where the lake resided. She sighed as she remembered that it was only a couple of days ago that she had last sat there by the water's edge with Natsu. She hugged her knees to her chest, the sun began to glare through the glass panes but she didn't mind.

She closed her eyes for a moment as she could see Natsu standing there by the water's edge waiting for her like he always did. She would run and bury herself deep into his chest as his arms wrapped around her. For her it was a warm safe haven that she could just melt into. She missed that feeling of being held in the boy's arms. It was a place she belonged. She would rest her cheek on his chest and feel his heart beat, a soothing motion that often put her to sleep.

"My lady?" she heard the soft voice of her handmaiden say as the door squeaked open. Lucy turned for a second to see Levy enter the bedroom before gazing back out towards the wood.

"Come in Levy," Lucy said quietly.

"My Lady you are not dressed yet?" Levy asked as she immediately glided over to a oak wood cabinet on the other side of the room. Lucy watched her fuzzy reflection in the glass tightening her grip around her legs. "Hurry your father is expecting you downstairs. One of his guests is due to arrive any moment now and he wants you to be prepared for their arrival."

Lucy didn't feel like getting dressed. All she could think about was Natsu sitting there in the dungeon in pain. The image of him the other night flashed in her mind's eye. His face dripping with blood, open gashes and wounds covered his half naked body. The sight of him collapsing as he fell from the horse into the dirt. She could feel a heavy weight on her heart as she reminisced about it. Now the boy was stuck in the dungeons, only the gods know what he must be enduring at that moment, and it pained her even more knowing there was nothing she could do to save him.

"I don't feel like going down there today Levy," Lucy sighed opening her eyes. She could see the small blue haired teen walking towards her with a beautiful silk white dress.

"Why? Are you sick my Lady?" Levy asked as she stepped up to the young blonde.

"I do feel a little ill," Lucy said as she gazed up at her handmaiden. She smiled sweetly at her.

Levy took a deep breath as she took a seat next to the princess. Lucy watched her with eyes of worry before they fell towards the window once more. Levy examined the princess carefully. She didn't appear to be sick, just a little depressed. She wondered what could be causing the girl so much grief. She had looked a little off ever since last night when they took the slave and the bandit down to the dungeon, but that couldn't be it. Lucy resented the slave more so than anyone in the kingdom, and the bandit was a man who had attempted to kill her only days ago. She wondered what it was that could be causing this strife.

"My Lady I don't mean to intrude," Levy said as she leaned forward taking the princess's hand in hers, "but your father expects you for breakfast any minute now. And you don't seem to be too ill to me. Maybe it would be better for you to get prepared as the king ordered. You don't want him to become upset again do you?"

Levy began to rub the blonde girl's hand hoping to sooth her and comfort her. She offered her a gentle smile, one that Lucy returned as well. Lucy had always found comfort in Levy that she could never find in anyone else. She was the only real friend apart from Natsu that she had. She could tell her just about everything, except her relationship with the slave boy.

"I know," Lucy moaned.

She sighed eventually giving in. Its not like she had much of a choice. She could see the persistent gaze in the eyes of her handmaiden as she reluctantly took the dress. She walked over to the corner behind a scarlet red curtain to change. Once she had finished she stepped out from behind the curtain and made her way to the makeup desk where Levy began to brush the young blonde's hair and tidy her up for the day.

"So my Lady do you know who your father's visitor is going to be?" Levy asked as she picked up and brush and began to stroke Lucy's long hair.

"I would assume King Duke of Juevelle," Lucy answered. "He is my future husband after all."

"I hear he's quite handsome," Levy giggled.

"But he's so old," Lucy groaned as she rested her chin on her palm. Levy sighed rolling her eyes as she pulled the blonde back so she could continue brushing her hair properly.

"He's only twenty my Lady. That's not exactly an age of the elderly," Levy retorted.

"I know," Lucy sulked.

"Come now, I'm sure once you get to know him you'll find out that he is a proper gentleman. His father was after all a man that preached peace and came to your father's aid in a dire circumstance. If he's anything like his father I'm sure that he'll turn out to be a great man," Levy said trying to reassure her.

Later Lucy made her way down stairs to the dinning hall where her father was awaiting her. There she could see him standing near the table with his advisors by his side, Iwan in particular. As she descended down the stairs she could see a foreign man she had not seen before, dressed in fine robes and surrounded by knights.

He was a tall man balding at the front of his crown but had long maroon colored hair that he kept neatly tied in a ponytail. He had a long scraggly beard to go with it. His skin was dark and tan, from hours he spent in the sun, and though it had become somewhat leathery it was still in a youthful stage. He may have been getting on in years but he stood as a man of respect and strength. His eyes were filled with a mixture of grace and ferocity.

"Lucy," she heard her father call as he beckoned her to him. "Come and say hello to our honor guest, Lord Neville."

Lucy walked up and curtsied at the king who bowed in turn. King Jude walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. To be honest Lucy hadn't expected this man. She had never met him before, but she had heard that he was supposed to be a close friend of her father's. The two of them were pretty close, but she hoped that he was not there for her hand as well. The idea made her shutter, but she tried not to dwell on it.

"Lucy this is my old friend Jean-Luc Neville, ruler of Zentopia," King Jude said. "As you already know he is a very close and personal friend of mine, but he would prefer to spend his time in ruins than actually ruling his kingdom."

"It keeps me young my old friend," Jean-Luc laughed. "But look at you, Princess Lucy," he said smiling down at the young. "You're as beautiful and spry as your mother."

"Thank you my Lord," Lucy said appreciatively as she bowed her head.

"If I had a son I would be more than happy to combine our two houses like your father would have wished. But I fear that I am still not there quite yet. But I feel honored to be attending your wedding with King Duke," Jean-Luc said grinning at her.

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wouldn't have to marry a man her father's age. Though she wouldn't put it past her father to try something, but the man's words brought her some ease.

"By the way I have brought you and your father some gifts," he said as he turned around and gestured for two of his knights to come forward.

The crowd grew interested, including Lucy. If it was a gift from the king it most certainly was something of grandeur. She just wondered what it could be. Jean-Luc and his nobles stood in her line of sight making it hard for her to see, but she could see two men of armor drag something from behind. When it finally came into view her eyes went wide as she saw two teenaged boys with their entire bodies chained, including their mouths.

One had pale blonde spikey hair and blue eyes. His skin was pale, and he had a long scar just above his right eye that stretched from his forehead down to the temple. On one ear dangled a small-jeweled earring. The other had long raven hair that covered half of his face, revealing only one red eye. He too was pale, but far more than his counter part. The two were of the same age and of the same height. They jerked around in their bonds rocking, and knocking the guards down.

"What's this?" King Jude asked as he examined the two boys over.

"Draconans my friend," Jean-Luc said patting King Jude on the back. "They are like the rumors of your own child of the dragons. They can transform into beasts as well."

Lucy gasped as she stared at the two teen boys currently tied up in chains. They looked fierce and there was something about them that was familiar to her. Something about them that she could see in Natsu; their eyes and the strength of body were similar, but they weren't the same as him. They were full of anger, rage and hate.

"And how long have you had such mighty weapons at your disposal my friend?" King Jude asked more than interested at this point.

"They were captured during one of my expeditions to the South," John-Luc answered. "They had just wiped out a large group of bandits when we found them. They didn't even appear all that exhausted from the fight, but after hearing about your dragon child I decided to take the opportunity to garner some of my own. But having heard your proposal I thought that they may be of better use here for now," Jean-Luc told him.

"Well than that would make our two countries the strongest alliance on the entire island of Fiore," King Jude said laughing happily. "Now come let us dine and take the time to catch up. Guards take these two slaves to the slave quarters where they will wait for me. I will take care of them after my morning business is complete."

Lucy watched as the other two Draconans were dragged off down a narrow corridor. They resisted every step of the way but the guard's pull was too strong for them to resist. She was not alone, she could see from the corner of her eye that Iwan was also watching them, a very interested look in his eyes. She felt a very cold prick in the pit of her chest. But she had known Iwan for so long and he had always been a nice man in her eyes. She shook it off believing it to be her imagination.

**A/N: This took a lot longer than I anticipated. Won't make excuses, will work harder to keep posting as fast as I can.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Welcome

The next day Natsu was woken up by the splash of freezing cold water once more. Only this time when he was stirred awake he was surprised to see three guards and Arcadios standing over him. Once the pink haired teen was awake Acradios motioned for the other guards to step forward. Natsu didn't have a chance to react as he found himself tied up and restrained in chains before being dragged away from his cell.

Gajeel was in no different of a situation as he too was woken up by frigid water tossed on him. Before he even had a chance to react, a number of prison guards pounced on him and kept him pinned down before another set of guards strapped Gajeel to the wall. The boy tugged at the chains around his wrist, flailing to break free. Aracdios watched the process from the next cell before gazing back to watch as Natsu was taken away before exiting the pink haired teen's cell and slamming the door shut behind him. A loud screech wailed from the bars as the door was closed.

"Hey!" Gajeel yelled as he struggled with his own chains. He was still in a bit of shock as he was perplexed by what had just happened. "What's going on? Why the hell are you tying me up?"

"King's orders," Arcadios told him bluntly. "He's afraid that you'll try to break out and escape today. And that is something he cannot afford to happen at the moment."

"And what makes this day so special?" Gajeel snorted leering threateningly at Arcadios.

"Not that it's any of your business," Arcadios sneered, "but King Duke was spotted entering Konvern's borders yesterday, and he and his company should be arriving at the castle soon. So he can't afford to have you messing things up for him and his family."

"Oh, perish the thought," Gajeel said sarcastically rolling his eyes. "Why would you think I ever want to do anything to jeopardize the king's special day?"

"Keep your jokes to yourself, bandit," Arcadios growled. "Or I will cut out your tongue."

"Why don't you come over and try it?" Gajeel sneered as he snorted flames from his nostrils.

Arcadios ignored him and continued to make his way up the corridor. Meanwhile, Natsu didn't understand why the guards were being so forceful with him since he wasn't really resisting. When he finally left the darkness of he dungeon and out into the morning daylight, he was tossed to the ground as the guards simply walked away. Arcadios was not far behind as he stepped up next to the young teen, hand on sword.

'What gives?" Natsu growled rubbing the back of his head as he stood up.

His body was feeling better than it did the other day. His muscles didn't ache all that bad, there was still some stiffness but it wasn't enough to hinder him. He was able to move a lot more efficiently. He stretched his back out and the one thing he was happy about was the smell of fresh air and the chance to escape from the rotten stench from down below.

"His Majesty has requested you prepare yourself for the arrival of Princess Lucy's future suitor, King Duke," Arcadios told him. "So I would recommend you take to your quarters and remained there for the rest of the day until called upon. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir," Natsu said nodding his head.

Arcadios returned the nod, and after he had finished he made his way back up to the castle steps. Natsu was a little hesitant, remembering that Gajeel was still down in the dungeon depths. He would have to find a way to get him out when he had the chance, but for now he knew that he would just have to remain quite and listen to his orders. He made his way down the pathway towards the slave chambers that resided near the back of the town, out of sight so most people didn't have to see them. It was original a stable for horses, but they moved them to a better built facility outside the walls.

As Natsu made his way to his quarters he was intercepted by a familiar face.

"Natsu, my boy," he heard Iwan say his name as the noble appeared from a group of guards that he was talking to.

The noble made his way over to the boy, leaving the guards alone for the moment. Natsu could see the look of disgust they each had for him. They scowled gripping their weapons tightly waiting for any opportunity they may have to strike the young boy. Natsu just leered back at them, though he made sure that he didn't say anything to provoke them. It didn't matter if Iwan was around or not, the guards would take the chance to beat him and throw him back in the dungeons if had the chance to.

"Lord Iwan," Natsu greeted the noble with a bow of the head. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"No need for formalities my dear boy," Iwna said wrapping an arm around the teen boy's shoulders. "I was just hoping that you were okay after spending a night in those awful dungeons. The king can be so cruel sometimes I know. And I tried to tell him. I said, 'My Lord, if not for Natsu than Arcadios and I would have been dead out there in those woods like all the others, may the gods keep their souls safe.'"

"It was no problem my Lord," Natsu said trying to reassure him. "It was only for a night. I have endured far worse before and this was nothing."

"Yes, but in your condition no less," Iwan said concerned, gazing at the boy with worried eyes. "Natsu, you've always been a special boy. To me, you are like a son, regardless of our different classes. I have watched both you and Princess Lucy grow up into fine young people. And now, in just a few days she's going to get married to King Duke and unite the two kingdoms. And Jean-Luc, being the good man that he is, says that he will carry out his alliance with King Jude on to the next king. A very mighty force is about to be forged my boy."

Natsu sighed as he realized the truth of the matter. In a few days time Lucy would be married, and probably move to some other castle far away and he would never see her again. The idea of it made him sick to his stomach, but he ultimately realized that it was her choice. He was even more worried now that he heard King Duke was early on his arrival. He had hoped that he had more time to convince Lucy to leave with him before the wedding. Now with Gajeel, he hoped that would persuade her decision.

Iwan watched the young teen carefully. His eyes seeing that Natsu was full of worry and confusion. He let a sly smile creep upon his face as he understood Natsu's current strife. He said nothing, but rather patted the boy on the back and offered him a friendly smile.

"You know," Iwan whispered as the two of them continued to walk; he peered around to make sure nobody was within ear shot of them, "if you ever got the nerve to run away from this life of slavery, the best time to do it would be during the wedding. The guards would be distracted by the crowds and everyone else's focus will be on the bride and groom all day. They would never even realize you'd be missing until you were already outside of the kingdom.

Natsu's eyes went wide as he peered back up at the older noble. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was Iwan serious right now? Was he really telling a slave to run away? He knew the man was kind, but to even suggest the thought would be considered criminal.

"Anyways," Iwan laughed rubbing Natsu's shoulder, "you get yourself to your quarters and prepare for the ceremony. King Duke will be here any hour now and we need to look our best for our future king."

"Yes sir," Natsu nodded his head as he sprinted off down the pathway. Iwan watched him as he ran away, smirking widely to himself.

As Natsu ran down the town square towards the blacksmith's shop. When he was older the blacksmith allowed him to live in a small shed behind the shop, rather than have him live in the slave quarters. He was okay with it, it was after all his own private room. It was only just a bed and a nightstand, and most of the space was used to store tools and cleaning supplies. It wasn't much, but it was far better than anything he's ever had before.

As he made his way down the town square something caught his attention. When walking passed people he often let his dragon senses take over so he could listen to people better. He would just hear gossip, and sometimes rumors about what was going on in the castle or other places around the kingdom. Since nobody would ever talk to him, it was a way of him to get to know the current events of the town.

As Natsu walked on down the street most of the talk he heard was about King Duke and his arrival. The future plans of the kingdom, and how people were oh so excited for the upcoming wedding. But as Natsu passed by a butcher's shop there was one thing that he heard the peaked his interest.

"Did you 'ear? They found two more dragon children," an elderly woman whispered to one of her friends.

Natsu's pace began to slow as he listened to what they were saying, but he pretended to keep walking to make sure they didn't notice.

"Yeah, apparently they were some boys from the south I hear. Lord Jean-Luc brought them here as a gift to he princess and her fiancé. They say that they're just like that monster child that the king let's roam around," the other woman said.

"I hear they be very dangerous," the first woman whispered. "That's why they gone and locked them up in the tower. Says it's a way of keeping them from causing too much trouble they did."

"Who did?" the other woman said doubtfully. Her voice cracked and shrill. It hurt his ears to even hear her speak.

"The gentleman of the guard," the first woman sneered. "He said that they moved the two boys up in the tower to make sure they didn't cause a ruckus before the princess's wedding,"

Natsu was shocked by the news. He couldn't believe that they had found two more people like him. It was too much to process in his head at the current moment. He made an immediate dash towards the blacksmith's shop to get ready. But not for the ceremony.

It was just a little passed noon when King Duke and his company had already arrived at the main gates of Konvern. Once King's Duke had bypassed through the town gate he was greeted by the eruption of thunderous applause and cheers as townsfolk lined the streets ready to greet him. Some people waved banners and flags, everyone there itching to get closer to see their new king. Guards cleared a path down the center of the main rode to let him and his company pass through. They stood there with polished armor with their glistening spears outstretched in front of them.

Children sat in the windows and on the rooftops to get a glimpse of their new king. Some threw confetti while others through flowers and petals of pink and red roses. Like rain it poured down on King Duke as he rode his horse through the streets with his nobles by his side. He simply smiled and waved as he strode on by doing his best to remain majestic.

Jellal rode in from behind, Erza riding right next to him. No sooner had the two of them passed through the gate that they were intercepted by two of the towns guard.

"Excuse me sir," one of the guards said as he stepped right in front of Jellal causing the young noble to stop his horse, "I have to inform you that you'll have to leave your servant behind here at the gate until the ceremony concludes. You on the other hand are free to continue moving forward."

"Servant?" Jellal scoffed in offense, leering at the guard in anger. "I'll have you know sir knight, but this woman is not my servant. She is my wife."

"Really?" the guard gasped in disbelief shaking his head.

The guards weren't the only ones surprised to hear Jellal declare Erza to be his wife. Erza herself was a taken back as well, as she stared at him with wide eyes of disbelief. But she quickly composed herself raising her head high attempting to look the part, though she knew it would be hard to sell considering she was still dressed a poor servant girl. She hoped it would work but she wasn't completely sold.

The two guards exchanged looks of disbelief before peering up at Jellal. He could see that there their eyes were skeptical and full of doubt, but he didn't let that sway him. He just glared at them with fierce glares slightly kicking his horse for it to go forward. He was growing agitated now, but deep down in the recesses in his mind he hoped that he was going to sell it. Not so much for him, but he wanted Erza to be there with him.

"Fine," the guard sighed in defeat. He shook his head still staring at Jellal in disbelief hoping to catch the young man lying, but Jellal still did not break his character. "You both may go," he finally said as he and the other guard stepped aside to let the two of them pass.

"Thank you," Jellal said bowing his head as he and Erza rode down the path way trying to catch up with the others in the company. Erza gazed back seeing the two guards watching her with a fierce scowl. She just smiled as she offered them a small wave before turning back to the blue haired noble.

"Your wife?" she questioned skeptically.

"What?" Jellal chuckled. "We're in a foreign land surrounded by foreign people. You can't be too careful when you're a man in my position. So as my guard I need you by my person at all times to protect me, and not stuck hanging around the servants."

"Well I wish you would have chosen to disguise me as your wife instead of some stupid servant girl," she muttered. "You could have saved me the trouble of having to wear these awful rags."

"Are you still complaining? You rally are acting like my wife now aren't you?" Jellal laughed only to be slapped hard across the shoulder by Erza. He continued to laugh despite the sinister glare that was radiating from the red heads eyes.

It wasn't long before the two of them caught up to King Duke's company and passed through the castle gates. There standing at the front door was King Jude, dressed in his finest robes with all his nobles, apart from Jean-Luc who was standing on by his side. On his other side stood princess Lucy who was wearing a long white silk gown with white roses laying across her bosom and a red rose tucked behind her ear.

From afar Natsu watched the ceremony from the rooftop of the blacksmith's, standing behind a few children to keep himself somewhat hidden from any potential guards. While everyone kept their focus on King Duke and his company, Natsu made a dash towards the castle, using his dragon legs to leap from rooftop to rooftop until he finally came upon the castle walls. He was careful to do it as subtly as possible so that he would continue to go unnoticed. The only people that began to grow interested were a few kids that watched him from their seats, but as long as it wasn't guards, Natsu was okay.

Before he climbed he took a quick glance to make sure nobody was looking. But as he did his eyes fell down to the front gate where he saw Lucy standing there in her frosty white gown, glowing in the afternoon sun. For Natsu to say she was beautiful was an understatement, she was stunning. He had to stop and admire her for a moment, feeling his heart race in his chest. It was then, in that moment, that Lucy turned her head a bit, seeing the pink haired teen watching her from afar. She smiled at him for a bit before she returned her attention back to the ceremony.

Natsu shook his head out of his trance before peering back up to the top of the wall. He sighed to himself gazing back at Lucy for one last time before he used his claws to begin climbing. He sunk his claws deep into the stone, finding any crack or crevice that he could stick his talons in. He looked down to see that nobody had noticed him climbing, and once he made sure the coast was clear he continued to climb up.

Once he scaled the wall and reached the top of the wall he peered to either side to insure that there were no guards walking by. Form the corner of his eyes he saw that there were two men standing at attention overlooking the edge. They talked amongst themselves, but their eyes were completely focused on the parade down below. Natsu seized the opportunity to quietly leapt over the wall, landing gently on his feet, before make a scurry towards the open hallway door that led to the tower.

He quietly made his way up the stairwell, being cautious not to alert any guards that may be patrolling. He heard the muffle sounds of two voices as he ascended further upwards. Quickly and quietly he jumped to the wall, and with his claws climbed to the ceiling, where he remained until he saw the two guards approaching. The clanking of their armored boots on the stone floor echoed through the stairwell, until they bypassed underneath him and continued to make their way down.

Natsu let go of ceiling and quietly fell to his feet. He stumbled forwards, forgetting that he was still on steps for the moment. He managed to catch himself on the tower wall before he completely toppled over. After making sure that nobody had heard him, he dashed the rest of the way up the tower until he finally reached the top door.

Once there he pressed his ear to the door, seeing if he could hear any noises within. There was a small chime of metal on metal inside the room and some muffed sounds, that Natsu could swear might have been the voice of two people talking. But he couldn't be too sure. He took a deep breath and was willing to risk it. Gently he opened the door. Though it screeched slightly as he did. He took a deep breath knowing that whoever was in there most certainly would have heard him, but he had to know if the rumors were true.

He opened the door and stepped inside to see two teenaged boys chained against the wall. The two them leered at him with ferocious eyes snorting fire through two metal mouth guards that were chained to their mouths. Natsu walked over and slouched down in front of them, removing the mouth guards from them. But no sooner had he taken off the one for the blonde haired teen that his entire head was consumed by flame.

"Wow," Natsu coughed as he wiped away some of the remaining smoke, "is that anyway to greet a fellow Dracnoan?"

The other two teens eyes went wide as they saw the boy was unfazed by the blast of flames.

"Who are you?" the blonde one growled.

"You say you're a Draconan? What are you doing here?" the dark haired one asked.

"Natsu," he said as he slouched back. He lifted up his arm to show them the tattoo. The two of them exchanged glances of surprise as they too lifted up their arms to show that they too had similar tattoos.

"So, you have the tattoo as well," the blonde said gruffly as he leaned back against the wall. "I guess we are similar."

"What the failed attempt to burn my face wasn't already a dead give away?" Natsu said furrowing his brows. "So what are you're names?"

"I'm Sting," the blonde answered.

"Rogue," the black haired one answered.

The tension seemed to have melt away from them as Natsu could see that the other two Draconans appeared to become more comfortable with him. They eased back into their bodies as they slouched their backs against the walls. They took a couple of deep breaths, they still didn't trust this new pink haired teen. Natsu didn't blame them, he couldn't really say that he trusted them either, regardless of whether they were Draconans. He could say that he didn't trust Gajeel at all either, but he knew that he might need his help when the time comes, and hopefully he could say the same about these two.

"Where did you two come from?" Natsu asked as he rested a forearm on his knee.

"We hail from the south," Rogue told him. Natsu could see that this boy in particular was keeping a close eye on him.

"Originally we were being trained to become gladiators," Sting continued. "Since we were little we were had been trained at gladiator schools. Once we became old enough they decided to take us to the games out west. As we were traveling we came up with a plan to break free. One night we escaped and made our way up north."

"Several other slaves broke out with us too," Rogue told him. "After they found out we had escaped our owners sent a large group of mercenaries after us."

"They couldn't afford to lose two of their most valuable assets," Sting interrupted with a laugh. Rogue glared at him with a disapproving scowl, a little irritated that his story was disrupted by the other boy. Sting just ignored him as Rogue continued his story.

"Anyways, as I was saying," Sting continued on. "We were eventually surrounding by our attackers. Long story short, we had our fight, all of the other slaves apart from ourselves were killed, but we were fortunate to have been able to walk away. But then we were ambushed by Jean-Luc's men."

"Apparently," Sting interrupted again, "they had heard about us when the word got out about our escape."

"Our fight had happened in his country's land. It wasn't that much of a surprise that we were eventually captured by his men," Rogue said shrugging. "We were then taken to the dungeons—"

"Where we broke out once or twice, only to be recaptured," Sting interrupted for a third time. He could see that Rogue was becoming a little more agitated by his partner.

"Then we were dragged here as offerings to King Jude and his daughter for her wedding day," Rogue finished.

"So what's your story?" Sting asked. Natsu just grinned widely at them.

Meanwhile down at the front of the castle gates King Duke had finally reached the foot of King Jude before he jumped down from his horse and walked up to greet the older king. Duke had a wide grin as he turned around to continue waving at the crowd as he approached Jude and Lucy. He just basked in admiration as rose petals continued to flutter down upon them like rain. Finally after having his fill of being worshipped he turned around to the other royals.

"King Jude," King Duke said as he properly bowed his head at the older king. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. And this must be Princess Lucy," he said eyeing the blonde haired girl. Lucy nodded her head politely as she watched King Duke approach her father.

The man was tall, at least a head taller than her. The rumors of him being handsome were true, his long raven hair was slick backwards, his scruff beard neatly trimmed. He had dark eyes like the pits of olives that were subtle, yet defined. He wore fine polished armor with a long cobalt blue cape outlined with gold. The symbol of his nation embroidered on the back of it, as he frolicked delicately in the breeze.

"King Duke," King Jude said gladly embracing the young lord with a hug, "it is an honor to have you."

"The honor is all mine," King Duke said grinning widely. He then proceeded to move over towards Lucy, taking her hand in his as he bent down and kissed the back of hand. "Princess Lucy, the rumors of your beauty were understated. You are far more beauty than gossip give you credit for."

The young blonde's face turned a deep crimson red as she felt herself becoming a little flustered by the king's words. Her mouth went agape as she thought of what to say. King Duke chuckled as he watched, turning to Jude with a dubious eye.

"Lucy?" King Jude said sternly as he nudged her. "What do you have to say?"

"Thank you, my Lord," she stuttered as she bowed her head still a little flushed. "Your words are too kind."

Erza sighed rolling her eyes as she watched King Duke and the others. Jellal just chuckled at her, but was received by a dissatisfied scowl. That didn't stop the young noble from enjoying himself.

"They sure do make a cute couple don't they?" Jellal said as he watched King Duke and the others making their way inside the castle.

"Yeah right," Erza mumbled.

"Well my dear," Jellal said as he jumped down from his horse and offered Erza his arm, "shall we?"

Erza smiled sarcastically at him as she leapt down from her horse. She took Jellal's arm as the two of them followed the rest of the company into the castle. The two of them were the last ones to enter. They received looks of confusion and bewilderment from the guards as the two of them walked together. Some of the guards were hesitant as they watched them pass, realizing that Jellal was a nobleman.

The two of them made their way inside the castle where the festivities were about to start. King Duke and King Jude took their seats at the head of the table, Jean-Luc sitting to King Jude's right as Lucy sat next to King Duke. The young king taking the young blonde's hand in his. Already the two of them seemed to be getting along pretty well, but Jellal decided not to join them at the table.

"Jellal," Erza told him as she took a step backwards, "I'm not sure if I should be here right now?"

"Yeah, you're probably right," Jellal said with a deep breath. "Why don't we wonder around the town? These banquets were never something I really enjoyed and honestly, I could stand to miss Duke boast about himself for the next couple of hours."

"I guess," Erza admitted.

"So my Lady," Jellal said grinning widely at her, "can I buy you a drink?"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The Gift

It was just another day for the young, now seven year old, Natsu finished his morning training with Gildarts. The two of them finished their routines as Natsu grew anxious hoping that today Lucy would come on down and go to the lake with them. He had not seen, nor played with her for the past week, and as each day passed the boy began to grow more and more anxious. On this day, he had hoped that she would appear, but to his dismay she didn't.

Gildarts could see the look of disappointment on the boy as he packed up his things. "What's wrong, Natsu?" Gildarts asked as he saw the young boy sulk after practice. He lifted his bad to see the boy sitting off in the corner resting his elbow on his knee.

"Nothing," Natsu sighed to himself shaking his head. He didn't want to mention that he really missed Lucy to his mentor.

"Come now," Gildarts said as he took a couple of steps near the boy, "you're not fooling anyone. Tell me what's wrong with you."

"I was," he sighed, hesitant about admitting the truth to Gildarts. "I was just hoping that Lucy would come down today so we could go to the lake together again. That's all.

"Oh, I see," Gildarts chuckled as he took a seat next to the young boy. "Well Natsu you see, the princess has a very important day coming up. From what I hear, tomorrow is supposed to be her birthday, so everyone in the kingdom is getting ready to celebrate it."

"Birthday?" Natsu asked with a puzzled gaze. "What's a birthday?"

"Wait, you mean to tell me you don't know what a birthday is?" Gildarts asked skeptically raising an eyebrow at the young boy.

"Does it hurt?" Natsu asked him.

Gildarts burst out into laughter at the boy's question. "No, no, it doesn't hurt, Natsu. It's nothing even remotely painful, until you start to get older, then it's more of a pain the ass than what it's good for. It's a day that celebrates the day you were born. It means that Lucy is turning another year older, and those people closest to her commemorate that. It's a very special occasion."

"Do you have a birthday?" Natsu asked him eagerly.

"Of course I do," Gildarts chuckled. "Everyone has a birthday."

"Even me?" Natsu asked, his eyes going wide.

"Yes Natsu, even you," Gildarts laughed nodding his head.

"Then how come I've never heard of it?" Natsu said eying the older man skeptically.

"What, you mean you never had a birthday before?" Gildarts asked becoming serious now. He knew that the boy had just told him he hadn't ever heard of a birthday before, but he hadn't even celebrated it.

"No," Natsu said shaking his head. "So, what do people do for their birthdays?"

Gildarts was a bit taken back by the boy's question. Natsu seemed to be completely content with never having celebrated his own birthday, if he even knew what, or when, it was. Then again Gildarts hadn't really celebrated his own birthday in a very long time, but that was different, he was an adult and Natsu was still just a child. Maybe he was forgetting that Natsu was a slave, but still, even the slaves took the opportunity to get festive once in a while when of their own people had a birthday.

"Usually, they give presents to whoever's birthday it is," Gildarts told him.

"So, does that mean that I should get Lucy a present?" Natsu asked him.

"If you want to," Gildarts chuckled. But then again the more he thought about it the more he realized that maybe it would have been such a good idea. After all, Natsu was just a child, a slave child to make matters worse. "But perhaps you should—"

"I'm gonna go look right now!" Natsu cried as he leapt to his feet and dashed back towards the town. Gildarts extended his hand to catch the boy, calling out his name, but by then Natsu had already gone. The old man sighed scratching the back of his head. "Uhm, Gildarts?" he heard Natsu ask as he saw the boy walking back towards him. "What's a present?"

"It's something that you give someone. It's supposed to have meaning to show that you care about them," Gildarts said pinching his eyes.

"Oh, okay, thanks!" Natsu shouted as he sprinted back off into town. This time Gildarts didn't even try to stop him, knowing that there was no way that he was going to prevent the boy from running off. He figured that it was better for him to figure things out on his own.

Natsu ran into town frantically looking at different shops and stores only to suddenly realize. He had no idea what he was looking for. Then a sudden awareness struck him. He had no idea where he would even get a gift, nor how one went about getting a gift. He wondered if he should go back and ask Gildarts for more advice. He decided against it, thinking that it shouldn't be too hard, but then he wondered what exactly little girls liked. What should he get the princess for her birthday?

He walked by one store and saw some flowers in the front of the shop. He wondered if girls liked flowers, they seemed too from what he saw around town. After all, Lucy seemed to be quite fond of them whenever they went to the lake, playing in them and picking them to smell and put in her hair. But she could get flowers whenever she wanted. Then he remembered what Gildarts had told him, that a gift was meant to show just how you care about a person.

He wanted to get her something special, something meaningful that she would really like. He walked down the road and came across a cart covered in barrels. "Would Lucy like a barrel of ale?" he asked himself out loud. "Is that something girls like?" He shook his head at his silliness, of the idea. "Of course not don't be stupid Natsu, Lucy can drink all the ale she wants back at the castle."

He wondered around thinking that perhaps Lucy would like a large fish from the lake, or maybe some apples that were growing on the tree. But those were things that she could get on her own. Eventually his journey brought him to the edge of town and not one store had something that he saw that would possibly work for Lucy. He slouched outside next to one of the water barrels the blacksmith kept outside his shop, trying desperately to think about it.

As he sat there pondering it over he heard the sounds of footsteps as the town's blacksmith appeared from behind his doorway to fetch a bucket of water. He was short plump man with a clean shaved head, and thick burly eyes that almost appeared to be shut at first glance. His blubbery skin glistened with sweat under the sun's summer light, with cheeks of rosy pink. A small patch of hair hung down on a thick layer of skin he called his chin.

He wore a worn out brown leather apron, covered in smut and grease. His porky belly pushed the apron a little father than it would on a normal human as the spaghetti straps of it sank deep into his pudgy shoulders. The seeped into his flesh, as they almost appeared to be consumed. That wasn't the only thing Natsu saw unusual about his shoulders; there tattooed on both of them was a small set of wings. Nothing like birds wings, but more of a small fairy type of wings. The man was a bit out of the ordinary, but he seemed kindly enough.

"Why, hello there young boy," he greeted Natsu kindly, "what are you doing here today? Come to take a drink from my barrel? Please, help yourself. All slaves are welcome to quench their parched thirst in my waters. You folks work just as hard as any of us."

"Oh," Natsu said blinking his eyes. He was a little surprised at the man's friendly gesture. "Thank you."

Natsu stood up noticing a small wooden ladle that hung on the edge of the barrel. He hadn't even realized just how thirsty he was until the rotund man mentioned it. He was so focused on finding a present for Lucy that it had completely voided his mind that he really needed a drink. His throat was dry and scratchy and it would do him some good to get some water in him.

He took the ladle and drank some of the stagnant water within. It was a bit rancid and stale, slow going down that he practically had to force it. He breathed heavily once he had finished, coughing a bit from the horrid aftertaste. He could tell that it had been sitting outside for a couple of days, but it was still nourishing to get some of it into his system. He had worse, most slaves usually did, but all in all it wasn't terrible.

"There you go my child, I know it isn't the best, but it's better than dying of thirst if you ask me," the blacksmith giggled, placing his hands on his hips.

"Thank you sir," Natsu said nodding his head.

"Oh, come now," the blacksmith said waving the gesture off before placing his hands back on his hips, "I am no sir. I am just an ordinary man as anyone else in this town. Besides, nobody refers to me in such a formal manner anyways. Call me Bob," He extending out his hand towards Natsu offering him a friendly handshake.

"Natsu," the young boy said taking the man's hand in his and shaking it.

"Oh, you're the dragon child," Bob said enthusiastically. "Well you're a special young man now aren't you?"

Natsu was a bit surprised, nobody had ever referred to him in such a kind manner before. He liked this guy, he was a bit strange looking, but he had a nurturing and caring demeanor about him. He grinned widely at the old man before letting go of his hand.

"Thank you . . . Bob," Natsu said as he cut himself of from saying sir.

"You look like you have something on your mind young lad," Bob said examining him over. "What seems to be troubling you?"

"I'm trying to find a gift for someone," Natsu sighed as he slumped back down on the ground.

"I see," Bob said scratching the few pieces of fuzz on his chin. "Well is this someone special to you?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, she's pretty special I guess," Natsu exhaled as he sagged his elbow on his knee looking down at the ground.

"Oh, a she?" Bob giggled with excitement as he took a seat next to the young boy. "Now things are getting a little more . . . interesting."

"It's not like that!" Natsu whined at Bob's tease. "It's just that we're friends, and I want to do something for her. Her birthday is coming up soon, and I really want to get her something she likes."

"Well, what does she like?" Bob asked him.

"I don't know," Natsu sighed shaking his head. "Do you have any idea what girls like?"

"Oh, I think I may know one or two things about what women like," Bob giggled coyly, winking at Natsu. The boy gave him a blank stare, having no idea what the old man was talking about. "Well, for one thing, many girls just **love** jewelry."

"What's jewelry?" Natsu asked gazing at him with confused and intrigued eyes.

"Well, jewelry is usually made of rare metals like gold, silver and gems," Bob told him.

"What are gems?" Natsu asked him.

"They're like rocks, only they're polished and look very, very nice," Bob told him. "Unfortunately, they're very expensive and most people can't afford them. They're mainly for the rich nobles and upper class."

"People get all excited by rocks?" Natsu asked skeptically. "What's the big deal? I mean if it's just rocks and metal why would people care so much about them? They sound pretty useless to me."

"You know something," Bob said as he pondered Natsu's words. "You're right. But they just look really nice."

"So do flowers, but I see most people with those," Natsu grunted.

"It's not the same you silly boy," Bob giggled. "Gems and what not are considered to be very valuable."

"By who?" Natsu demanded, leering a skeptical eye at Bob.

"By everyone," Bob cried, bursting into laughter as he did so.

"And when did everyone determined that a bunch of rocks were all of a sudden valuable? They don't do anything. They just sit there. Why would people care so much about some useless stones?" Natsu grunted as he folded his arms against his chest.

"I think we've gotten a bit off topic," Bob giggled, offering the boy a friendly smile. "You obviously can't afford jewelry, so how about we think of something else? A nice necklace perhaps?"

"Maybe?" Natsu said thinking about it. "But where would I get one of those things?"

"You can buy one," Bob suggested, but he stopped himself as he remembered that Natsu was just a slave, "or you can make one."

"How would I do that?" Natsu asked.

"Well, as a blacksmith I can show you how to make one of your very own if you would like," Bob offered.

"Really?" Natsu asked getting more and more excited. "Thank you so much!"

"Now, come along young lad," Bob said leading him inside the shop.

Natsu gazed around the building getting a better feel for it. It was small, not much more than a fire place off in the corner, an anvil in the center with a couple of barrels full of swords and other weapons. There were a few pieces of armor on tables in the far back that he assumed were for sell or brought in for repairs. A bucket of water for cooling rested near the anvil between the stone fireplace. A stack of logs rested next to the stone fireplace. Hay lined the dirt covered wooden floor with boards that creaked with every step Natsu took.

"Well let's see here," Bob said as he trifled through a box of metals. Natsu stood on his tiptoes to get a better view of what the pudgy old man was doing. "Ah, here we go," Bob said, as he pulled out a long, chrome chain. It was thin strand of metal that Natsu could only notice it by its glint in the firelight.

"Is that the necklace?" Natsu asked eagerly.

"Not quite," Bob said as he cut a small piece of the long chrome chain off. He took it in his hand and placed it down on the table. "What we can do is try to mold something creative on it. You don't want to just this special young lady a piece of metal do you? There must be something unique about it."

"Like what?" Natsu asked as he took a couple of steps closer. His eyes barely above the table, he actually had to stand on his toes to get a good view of what the blacksmith was doing.

"Well we need to put a trinket on it, something that will remind her of you," Bob giggled. "How about, we make a little dragon for it? A little dragon from the dragon child himself! Oh, won't that be a fantastic gesture!" Bob giggled joyfully. Natsu grinned wide and nodded his head in approval of the suggestion.

Bob proceeded to dig in his box some more. He reached in and pulled out a small metal cube. Natsu liked the look of the small piece of metal; it was shiny and sparkled elegantly despite the darkness of the room. After he set it on the table he reached back into the kit rummaging around for something. Natsu reached up to pick up the shiny piece of metal but had his hand knocked away by Bob as the old man continued to look through the bag. Finally, he found what he was look for; a casing in the casing of a small dragon.

"Here we go," Bob said as he grabbed the two objects and walked towards the fireplace. The fire was dimming now, the log all but burnt out, but there was enough there for some light to fill the room. "We'll just have to get a better fire going," he said as he threw in a wooden log.

Natsu didn't hold back, the moment Bob was out of the way to reach for some kindling he belched out a cascade of flames that erupted in the hearth. Bob shielded his eyes from the roaring fire, blinking in utter shock at what just happened. The logs were still aflame but they were almost burnt up completely.

"Well now, isn't that something?" Bob laughed in delight as Natsu grinned proudly at himself. "I think your skills can come in quite handy. Now, if you can control your flame breathe on this piece of metal for me."

As he spoke Bob placed the piece of metal in an iron ladle and held it over the hearth for Natsu. The boy quietly obeyed trying his best to keep his fire under control. Like a whisper, he slowly breathed the fire from the purse of his lips as it soared around the metal chunk, slowly melting it. Once it had been completely melted, Bob poured the residue into the metal casing and clasped it shut. He then walked over and dipped it into the bucket of water, causing an outburst of steam to come forth.

"Is it ready yet?" Natsu asked impatiently as he jumped towards the bucket to get a better view.

"Not yet child," Bob chuckled. "We have to let it cool first, then it will be finished."

"Ah," Natsu moaned as he dropped his head on the table in disappointment.

"Oh, hush yourself child," Bob laughed waving his hands at him. "It will all be done in due time. Just be patient."

"I know," Natsu groaned but he was still too anxious to hold his composure.

"So, you're the dragon child everybody talks about huh?" Bob said as he took a seat on a chair that was situated next to the table. He motioned his hand for Natsu to sit next to him as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead.

The boy complied as he walked over and took a seat on a raggedy wooden chair next to the plump man. He plopped himself on it staring at the fat old man, as Bob just offered him a friendly smile.

"You know," Natsu said coyly, "you're one of the only people that's been so friendly to me. Why?"

Bob peered at him, not letting his smile fade in the slightest. "People fear and hate on those they don't understand," he said. "You and I are very similar in that aspect. So when I saw you sitting there I figured you might need a friend. Heck, I think I could do with one as well."

"Why do people hate and fear you?" Natsu asked staring at him with puzzled eyes. Natsu wondered how could anyone hate him? The man was so friendly and kind.

"Because I am different," he told the young boy. "You're too young to understand now, but when you're older, you'll see why."

It was a good couple of hours before Bob finally pulled the casing out of the bucket and placed it on the table. Natsu was jumping in eagerness as he waited for Bob to open it. Once the small piece of metal fell on the table, Bob picked up a hammer and chisel and began to sculpt the features. He gave the dragon savage eyes, a gaping mouth with rows of sharp teeth, as well as four claws with and two wings. Nastu watched in anticipation as the old blacksmith went about his work. Finally after a few hours it was done. It wasn't perfect, but to Natsu it looked exquisite.

"There we go," Bob said as he tied the dragon onto the chrome chain. "Now that is a nice necklace if I do say so myself."

"Wow, thank you," Natsu said with a wide grin as he snatched the necklace from Bob's hand. He began to sprint out of the shop before catching himself. "Uhm, sorry, I don't know how I'm supposed to pay for this."

"Don't worry yourself about it child," Bob said softly. "How about you just come in and work at my shop for a few hours everyday, after your normal chores, and we'll call it even? Deal?"

"Deal," Natsu said nodding his head. With that he ran out of the shop, Bob watching him disappear behind the door. The pudgy old man just giggled to himself as he returned to his own work.

For the next couple of days Natsu held onto the necklace never letting it out of his sight for an instant. Then one day after practice, to his great joy, he saw Lucy rushing down the stairway from the castle, followed by Iwan. The boy was giddy with excitement as he immediately stood up to greet her. Gildarts saw the nobleman approach, and still, after several months, he hadn't become any friendlier towards the nobleman. Natsu didn't care though; he was thrilled to see Lucy again. The two of them almost hugged each other, had Gildarts not stepped in between them.

"Gildarts, my friend," Iwan said with a wide smirk as he approached. "Can I trust you to take care of Lucy at the lake today?"

"It would be a pleasure sir," he growled, but made sure he still bowed his head respectively. "As it has always been. Come now Princess."

The young blonde nodded her head as she rushed up and stood by Natsu as the small group made their way out of the gates. The two of them practically ran to the lake, Natsu ahead of Lucy as she tried to keep up. Wearing her light blue sundress didn't really help her as she nearly tripped over herself.

When they got to the lake Natsu stopped near the water's edge grinning in self-admiration. Lucy was breathing heavily, but she had long since given up on the race. Gildarts made no attempt to keep us, he just walked as usual, pulling out a pipe from his pocket it and lighting it as he went.

"It feels good to be back here doesn't it?" Natsu said as he peered out over the lake. He really did enjoy the setting, it was so unlike the castle or town. The air was cleaner and smelt better with no residue of manure and human body odor. The best thing about it was that there was no one else around and no one that would mistreat him for being a slave.

"Yeah it does," Lucy said as she walked up next to him. She smiled at him holding her hands behind her back, peering over the still water.

It was in that moment Natsu remembered the present he got her. He pulled it out of his pockets concealing it in his palm as he raised his fist up to her. She blinked in confusion as she stared at his balled up hand wondering what exactly he was doing. Gildarts saw the two of them from a far, but he didn't pay them any mind. He simply made his way over to one of the trees that he normally sat under, and pulled out a book to read. Throwing a fishing line out into the water before settling back.

"What's that?" she asked starring at his fist.

"It's your birthday present," Natsu answered with a wide smirk; opening his hand to reveal the chrome necklace.

"Natsu!" Lucy said admiring the necklace, "It's beautiful!"

The young boy smiled as he tied the necklace around the back of her neck, letting the necklace settle on her supple blonde hair. He let it drop as the small pennant fell around the base of her collar. The little girl giggled as she picked it up with one hand to admire its craft. She examined it closely twirling it around in her fingertips as Natsu watched her, unable to contain his own joy.

"Thank you," she said softly, before kissing the pink haired boy on the cheek.

Natsu's face flushed a deep crimson red. The blonde haired girl found herself blushing lightly as well as she bit her lip in embarrassment. She had no idea what compelled her to do that, but she then reached down and grabbed Natsu's hand to lead him back towards the apple tree to help her climb it.

Natsu's mind was all abuzz as they moved. His mind completely focused on the kiss. His cheek was still a bit moist from where she kissed him, and his heart beat frantically in his chest. He had no idea what he was feeling, but at the pit of his gut he felt a warm sensation. Not like when he breathed fire, but something else completely different. He liked it, and the more he thought about her kissing him, the stronger it grew.

"Lucy? Lucy? LUCY!" the girl heard someone shout her name.

She shook her head snapping back to attention as she realized all the surrounding eyes at the table were focused on her now. She bit her lip as her cheeks flushed a little form embarrassment. She could see her father scowling at her from the corner of her eyes, knowing that he was probably upset about her getting lost in her daydream. She realized that she was also holding the small dragon pennant attached to her necklace in her hand before she slowly placed it underneath the bosom of her dress.

"I'm sorry, what?" Lucy asked with a blank stare, still feeling slightly embarrassed.

"King Duke was asking you a question," her father grunted.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," Lucy said as she turned next to the young king sitting next to her. "What was it that you were asking me?"

"I was asking you what your thoughts on the Draconan slave situation was?" King Duke told her as he raising an eyebrow. "Do you think that the others would serve loyally as your other slave has? If so, then we would have the fiercest army in all of Fiore, however I am concerned that the other Dracnoan slaves will not do as they are told, like your slave does."

"The Draconans are a weak and feeble people," Lucy hissed, the mere words that she spoke stung her heart. "Controlling them would not be so difficult, as we have clearly managed to control the rest of their people with the utmost ease."

"Indeed, well said princess," King Duke said smiling before turning back to Lucy's father.

Once Lucy felt all eyes removed from her she placed her hand at the base of her throat where the trinket rested. She smiled to herself as she reflected back to her memory of that birthday so many years ago. Her father had been too busy to attend her party, which in of itself was nothing more than a bunch of noblemen and their children there to suck up to her and shower her with gifts. She should have been happy that day, she knew she should have, but she wasn't. The absence of her father hurt more than anything.

It was the days after her birthday that she remembered dearly. Memories of how she and Natsu would climb the apple tree to the top. It was in those days that Gildarts had taught her and Natsu how to fish. Often time the boy grew too impatient for the line, and often dove into the shallow waters in an attempt to catch the fish with his bare hands. It frustrated Gildarts as he would grab the boy and pull him back onto the land complaining that all he was doing was scarring off all the fish. She could see Natsu now, on the bank reaching in finally snagging a fish only to have it leap out of his arms as he tried to haul it in. Gildarts yelling as the fish swam away and they had to start all over again. She giggled as she saw Natsu sitting with his face turned towards a tree, sulking angrily as he was put in timeout and forced to leave the fishing up to Gildarts and Lucy.

She rubbed the dragon again as the rest of the world seemed to have faded into silence. That was until she was shaken from her daydream by a small hand that nudged her shoulder.

"What are you thinking about my Lady?" Levy asked her seeing that Lucy lost in her memories again.

"Just remembering an old birthday from long ago," she told her with a wide smirk. "Back when I was little."

"Is that where you got that necklace from my Lady," Levy asked as she peered over the young princess's shoulder to get a better look at it.

"Yes," Lucy whispered softly. "Don't tell anyone, it's a very special gift from someone I care about."

"Oh, I see," Levy giggled quietly. "Don't worry I won't tell anyone your secret."

"If only you knew," Lucy told her before she heard her name called out again. "If only you knew."

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait guys. I appreciate all the reviews and comments I have received since starting this story. I know some of you are thinking this is a filler chapter, but it's not. Please, please, please let me know if I am going to fast, too slow, or anything like that. Many of you guys have suggested more NaLu, and I promise I'll introduce more of it as the plot carries on. Also, sorry these chapters are generally 15-18 pages long, and I miss some of my mistakes so I apologize in advance for any of them.**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The Test of Resolve

Natsu shut the door behind him as he left the tower prison room to make his way back down the tower stairwell. He only managed to go down a couple of steps before he heard the clamor of footsteps ascending the stairs. Before he had time to react he saw Arcadios standing there right in front of him followed by several other prison guards. The knight glared at him with an expression of both surprise and anger.

"What are you doing up here, Natsu?" Arcadios growled, scolding the teenage slave.

"I got lost," Natsu lied, though he knew that there was nothing he could say that would convince the knight of anything other than what was true.

"Guards," Arcadios bellow, "escort the salve back to down to the dungeons. Clearly he doesn't understand what his duties as a slave really are."

Natsu sighed as he saw a couple of guards break away from the rest of the group and grab his arms. As they proceeded to pull him down the stairway Natsu could see Arcadios mouth the words, 'I'm sorry,' as the boy passed him. Natsu said nothing, it wasn't like Arcadios had a choice. He was angry though, but more at himself for forgetting to be careful. Now he was going to be sent down to the dungeon again, but at least he would get the chance to talk to Gajeel about their plans.

Acradios watched them take Natsu away just until they disappeared from view. It suddenly struck him that Natsu would have just been in that room and he briskly turned around to enter the tower room. He threw open the door half expecting the two Dracnoan teens to have been released from their bonds, but to his utter shock, they were still tied up. He blinked seeing the two of them glare at him with fierce eyes, yet their chains had not been touched.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Arcadios approached them making sure to keep his hand on the blade and keep his distance

"What did Natsu want with you two?" he demanded.

"Who?" Sting chuckled with a sly grin.

"Don't play stupid with me," Arcadios hissed. "What did Natsu, the boy that was just in here want with the two of you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about?" Sting said shrugging it off. "We've been alone up here all day. You're the first person we've seen since you decided to lock us up here against our will."

"I know you're lying, and if you won't tell me what the boy was doing up here I'll find out myself," Arcadios growled.

"By all means," Sting snickered.

"Bring the two of them down to the dinning hall," Arcadios ordered the other guards. "Lord Jean-Luc wants to show the two of you off to King Duke and his finance," Aracdios said leering back at them. "You will be on your best behavior if you ever hope to get out of this tower again."

"Oh, come now my Lord," we're always on our best behavior," Sting continued to pester the knight. "Why? Don't you trust us?"

"Know this boy," Acradios sneered, "if you do anything that would cause harm to anyone, I will have you hung by your entrails and left out in the sun to be fed to the buzzards."

"Oh, how scary," Rogue snickered as he rolled his eyes.

The other guards entered, but were weary of the two teens. They made sure to stay out of the boy's frontal in case they breathed fire at them. They unlocked their chains from the wall and brought them down the stairwell. Arcadios stayed behind peering around the room checking every crack and crevice. He wanted to make sure that Natsu hadn't left anything behind just in case. From what he could see there really wasn't anything.

"Maybe the boy didn't enter the room after all," Arcadios said out loud to himself.

Arcadios didn't believe what he was saying. He decided that he would visit the dungeons himself to interrogate Natsu himself. If the boy was inside the tower room Arcadios would find out. Though the king expected him to attend the dinning hall ceremony for the night, but for now he needed to make sure that the boys weren't scheming anything.

Natsu found himself thrown in the same cell he was in only a few hours ago. He collided on the cold hard stone floor, sliding across the slime on the ground. He picked himself off trying to dust off what ever filth was covering him, but it was so sticky that it just stuck to his hands. He sighed as he proceeded to wipe it on his pants only to make his pants sticky as well without relieving any of it from his palms.

"So, what'd you do this time?" Gajeel chuckled.

Natsu turned to see the long black haired teen sitting against the wall of his cell. He rested his chin on his hand as he gazed over at his counterpart.

"I found two other Draconans like us locked up in the castle's prison tower," Natsu told him.

"What?" Gajeel said excitedly as he leapt up to his feet. "When did this happen? When did they get here? What are they doing locked up there and not down here with us?"

"They're supposedly wedding gifts to King Duke and Lucy, brought in the other day by a man named Jean-Luc," Natsu informed him. "They told me they were from the south, originally sold to be gladiators."

"When did you meet them?" Gajeel demanded as he walked over to the bars.

"Just now," Natsu said. "They caught me upstairs after I had just spoken to them. Why do you think I'm back down here?"

"So, what else did you guys talk about?" Gajeel demanded. Natsu glared at him, a little annoyed that the other boy was being so pesky.

"About our plan," Natsu informed him. "They're in, but I have to talk to Bob first."

"Okay, good," Gajeel said as he rubbed his chin. "Who the hell is Bob?"

"A blacksmith, and a friend," Natsu told him. "Someone who would be willing to help us when the time comes."

"Natsu!" they heard the young teen's name called out as they saw Arcadios walk down the corridor to their cells. "You are gong to tell me what were you doing in that room."

Natsu crossed his arms over his chest as he walked towards the front of his cell. He eyed Arcadios carefully as he bit his tongue. Arcadios leered at him with heavy eyes. Natsu knew that Arcadios was one of the few people that he could probably trust. The tension was palpable; Arcadios could fee the glare of the other teenaged Draconan from the other cell. His gaze moved up to him, but Gajeel did not flinch as he leaned against the bars.

"I heard rumors of there being two other Dracnonans like Gajeel and myself upstairs," Natsu said casually, finally breaking the tension, "I just wanted to see whether they were true or not."

"Anything else?" Arcadios demanded stepping closer to the bars. Natsu didn't flinch as the knight came within only a few centimeters from his face. The boy just gave him a coy smile.

"No," Natsu said before walking towards the back of his cell where Gajeel was standing.

"Natsu this is serious," Arcadios sneered. "If we find out that you were up to something that could be detrimental. I can't protect you if you are planning anything."

"Who says I need protection from anyone?" Natsu asked sternly. "Last I remember, it was I who saved you from Gajeel and the group of bandits out in the woods. And that it was me who whipped out most of them when they attacked. That it was me that saved Lucy's life as well. Gildarts trained me to be a weapon of the king, so trust me when I say, I don't need your protection."

Arcadios was perplexed by the boy's words. Natsu glared at him with a fierce scowl, a look he had never seen the boy give him before. He looked livid, as though ready to attack the knight, but he made no movement towards him. He could see that Gajeel was also glaring at him, yet he didn't make a single movement either. There was something wrong. The boy just wasn't himself; usually he was far friendlier to the knight, but today he his eyes looked at him as though Arcadios was his enemy.

"Very well," Arcadios sighed. "But you will remain here for the time being. I will tell the king of what you have done and see what he deems fit as punishment for your misbehavior."

"What's he going to do?" Natsu asked skeptically raising an eyebrow. "Throw me in the dungeon?"

Arcadios took a deep breath before ultimately giving up. He turned around and left the dungeon, peering back over to see Natsu talking with Gajeel again. He didn't show it to Natsu, but deep down the knight felt a little sting of pain in his heart. He wondered what had driven the boy to have such a hatred for him all of a sudden.

Arcadios returned to the dinning hall where he found the king and his company sitting at a table as the other two Draconan slaves were brought forward and pushed to their knees. Everyone else in the chamber formed a semi-circle around the, both thrilled and terrified all at once. Lucy gazed at them with curious eyes, but also with a sense of remorse. She knew that these men were like Natsu in some way, and for that she had sympathy, but she also understood how dangerous the two of them must be.

"Acradios," the king called out to him as he saw the knight approach the table and take his place by the king's side. "Where is our own slave boy Natsu? I wish for you to fetch him immediately so we can show our guests just how well we have tamed the savage beast."

"My Lord," Arcadios interjected, bowing his head properly before he carried one, "the slave boy Natsu has been thrown back into his prison cell you confined him too the other night."

"Oh, really?" King Jude said with a deep breath of annoyance. "What did the boy do this time?"

Lucy could overhear the two of them talking as she felt her heart beat a little faster as she heard the current predicament Natsu was in. Hearing about his release earlier in the morning made her feel a little comfort, but now that he was back in lock up it made her worry even more. She hadn't seen him in days, at least not on a personal level. She held her necklace seeking some comfort in it.

"He disobeyed one of my orders my Lord," Arcadios answered. "Worry not, the boy will be dealt with for his brash behavior."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" King Duke interjected as he took a sip of wine from his goblet. "What is to be the punishment for a slave that flouts the orders of one of his superiors?"

All eyes; noble, commoner and even the servants who were busy cleaning up the table, had now turned to the young king as Duke leered at Arcadios with a serious stare. The knight could tell that the king was not joking around when he insisted on hearing about the punishment. The knight knew not what to say, but he would speak the truth of what Natsu's punishment would be and hope that it would be enough to satisfy the young king.

"He will be locked away in the dungeons for his insolence, until I see fit to release him," Arcadios answered.

"Is that it?" King Duck said nonchalantly as he twirled the wine in his cup. Lucy eyed him carefully as did her father and Arcadios. "King Jude, with all due respect, but is this really how you control your slaves? I mean, if a night in the dungeon is enough to suffice for the crimes of ignoring the orders of one's superiors, than how can you be expected to keep the other Draconan beasts at your whim?"

"What would you suggest?" King Jude asked, interested in hearing what suggestions the young king would propose.

"Twenty lashing should suffice for the crime," King Duke answered with a joyful, yet serious smirk.

"My Lord," Arcadios exclaimed, "the boy did not do anything severe, just a minor offense."

"King Duke is the future ruler of this kingdom, Arcadios," King Jude said shaking the knight off. "You will listen, and do as he says. The man makes a good point. We cannot expect ourselves to control our servants if we are not willing to do what is necessary to keep them in line. Bring Natsu before us so that he can receive punishment."

"No, my Lord," King Duke interrupted, "take him outside to the public square where everyone can bear witness to his punishment. He must be made an example of, and the people need to understand how stern we are with our rule and that we will not tolerate misbehavior. The message must be sent before this behavior spreads like a virus."

"You are very wise for your age young lord King Duke. Very well," King Jude agreed, nodding his head. "Arcadios, send several of your guards downstairs to fetch Natsu, and have the others set up the stake outside."

Neither Lucy, nor Arcadios, could believe what they were hearing. Arcadios hesitated at first, but reluctantly he complied. Lucy gasped in horror, as both her father's and King Duke's eyes fell upon her. They weren't the only ones; Levy also stared at the young princess with quizzical eyes. She could see that the young princess had a glimmer of freight and concern in her eyes, as they went wide. She too was worried as King Duke appeared to be completely unfazed by his orders, in fact he continued discussing politics with King Jude.

While the banquet commenced in the castle, Jellal and Erza found themselves seeking entertainment elsewhere: in one of the local taverns in the heart of the town. The two of them had been wondering around looking for a good place to grab a pint of ale, and this one didn't appear to be all that bad. The men looked like they were low wage peasants that were finishing up a hard day's work with a cold beer and some food before returning home.

It wasn't too crowded there in the dinning room apart from the few occupied tables. Jellal and Erza were the only two sitting at the bar, giving them some isolated peace from the rest of it all. The bartender was busy filling more wooden mugs with ale, when he slapped two of them in front of the young noble and knight. He said nothing, and despite them not ordering the drinks they picked up each of their mugs and clanged them together before taking their fist sip.

The place was dark for the most part, apart from the pale flicker of flame that emanated from the fire pit on the far side behind them. Jellal peered around the rickety old place trying to get a good feel of it. The bartender was a rotund man with a thick, burly beard and a serious grimace about him, but he seemed alright. Though there was something about this place that Jellal couldn't shake as he noticed that in the back with two other men sat a man cloaked all in black. The hood of his cloak draped over his head making it difficult to see his face, but Jellal could have sworn he was staring at them.

Jellal tried to ignore it, but he couldn't shake the eerie vibe that he was getting from this man. The other two people he was sitting with didn't make it anymore easier. One man was pale with a large top hat. His skin pale, almost a bluish color that was inhuman and a nose longer than any the young noble had ever seen. Sitting on the other side was another man, short and stout. He had long, white hair and a chin that was twice as big as his head.

The three of them sat secluded in their own corner, Jellal making sure to keep an eye on them. Erza on the other hand sat there in silence as she sipped on her ale. She was still a little unhappy about having to wear the peasant dress, and she had hoped that maybe, while they were out of the castle, she could have changed into more suitable clothing.

The two of them finished their first beers as the bartender came and replaced their mugs with fresh ones. As he did Jellal could sense the hooded figure moving towards the two of them. Jellal said nothing, hoping that maybe he was being a bit paranoid, but he found his hand reaching for his sword nonetheless. Erza could see that the young man was disturbed as she turned around to see what it was that was troubling him.

Once she too saw the hooded figure she reached for her own sword that she had hidden under her blouse. Just as the hooded man was within feet of them, the doors to the tavern burst open as a man yelled, "They're going to punish the Draconan beast out in the town square!" Before he continued to run down the road followed by an uproar from outside.

Jellal and Erza exchanged a gaze of glances as the tavern emptied out and everyone inside bolted towards the door and out of the tavern. That was all, except for the hooded man. Jellal glared at him as he smirked, and casually backed up before he too vanished outside the tavern door with the crowd. Jellal began to feel a sense of relief once the man had gone, his grip on his sword's hilt loosed and he drained the last of his beer.

"What's going on?" Erza asked the bartender.

"Sounds to me like the king's dog is going to get a public punishment," the bartender said in a gruff voice. "That's odd since the king normally let's the slave run loose around here. It's about time someone put that boy in his place if you ask me. Always running around like he's some kind of free man, doing nothing all day while the rest of us bust our asses."

"What did the slave do?" Jellal asked. He had heard of this Draconan before. It was said that the boy had be been brought up as a military weapon, trained specifically for combat, but he didn't know if those were just rumors passed around amongst soldiers.

"Beats me," the bartender said shrugging. "But it must be something serious if the king is going to make it a public display."

Erza nudged Jellal as she gestured for the two of them to leave. He nodded in agreement as the two of them stood up and made their way outside. When they had exited the tavern they saw a large crowd form around the center near the marketplace in front of a large wooden stage where a young, pink haired teen had his arms tied outstretched upwards to a large wooden pole in the center. The two of them weaved through the crowd, the town's men and woman jeering loudly. Slaves watched from afar either from windows or the base of their shops pretending to go about their chores knowing that they were forbidden to participate in the public shunning.

As Jellal and Erza drew closer they could see the pink haired teen tied up with chains, with King Jude standing over him as well as the young king Duke and his knight Arcadios. Lucy on the other hand watched from behind the stage with the other nobles. She had a look of worry in her eyes as she did her best to maintain her composure, but the sight of Natsu standing there, half naked in front of everyone was almost too much for the young girl to bear.

Iwan stood next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder to comfort her through it. Her soft, chocolate colored eyes peered up at him as he offered her a friendly smile. She could see that he was trying his best to calm her. She cringed as she could hear the muffle laughter and harsh words that were spoken amongst the group of nobles around her. Some of whom couldn't wait until the public punishment began. She fought back tears as best she could, feeling Iwan pulling her in close to shield her from the world.

Jellal found himself curious as King Duke motioned for the cries of the crowd to die down. He stepped towards everyone near the front of the stage, and sure enough the cluster went silent. He had a whip in his hand, a long piece of leather with steel points attached to it. The young noble's eyes went wide as he saw that this was the instrument in which King Duke was going to punish Natsu.

Natsu was not the only Draconan on the stage. Sting and Rogue were chained off to the side, King Duke eyeing them viciously as he held the whip up to them. Natsu turned to them and smirked. He nodded his head at the two of them as they in turn nodded back before Natsu turned back towards the crowd ready for his punishment.

"Citizens of Konvern," King Duke called out to them. "I am King Duke Sawarr of Junelle, the future lord of your kingdom by grace of King Jude." The crowd listened to him as he grew more serious, pacing along the front of the stage. "Take heed my people, as your future king I demand respect and discipline from my people. To disobey my command, or any command of your superiors will be met with severe punishment. But fear not, for I am a kind and ultimately merciful. However, let this Draconan serve as a reminder of what happens to those that cross me or violate mine, or any law of the land."

After his speech King Duke walked over to Arcadios. He lifted up the whip and handed it to the knight.

"Excuse me sire, but what are you doing?" Arcadios asked, staring down at the whip in disbelief.

"You're the one the slave disobeyed," King Duke answered, "so you'll be the one to administer the punishment."

"B-b-but my Lord," Arcadios stuttered.

"Arcadios!" King Jude bellowed. "You will do as your lord commands you. Now take the whip and administer the punishment."

"Y-yes sire," Arcadios sighed as he took the whip in hand. He peered down at it as the long sliver of metal and leather unraveled to the wooden floor.

Arcadios felt his heart race s it began to grow heavy in his chest. He took his position behind the young teen as Natsu stared out front into the crowd. Arcadios gripped the handle of the whip firmly in his hand struggling to lift it up. He took a couple of deep breaths, the world slowing down all around him as he felt a single tear fall down his cheek before releasing the first lash.

Natsu let out a wail of pain as he felt the skin on his back break under the sound of cracking whip. His chains rattled above him Lucy gasped in horror, tears streamed down from her eyes. She wanted to run away, unable to bear witness to the beating that was being bestowed upon Natsu.

"No, my Lady," Iwan said as he pulled her into his chest and wrapping his arms around her. "You must stay here or else you too may be punished."  
"Please let me go Lord Iwan," Lucy sobbed into his robes. "I can't do it. I can't stand here and watch this."

Another cracked echoed through the town square followed by another cry of pain from Natsu. The sounds were nauseating to her, as she could barely keep her feet under the weight of her aching heart. She tried to break away from the old noble, but he continued to pull her back in, keeping her there, stroking her hair as a way of comfort. Anything he could do to soothe her, but it just didn't seem like enough.

"But you must my lady," Iwan told her. "For your sake you must. I will be here for you, so please try and endure it."

The loud cracking of the whip echoed once more followed by a cry of pain. At this point Natsu fell to his knees, panting heavily. His body grew heavy under the weight of the pain. But he refused to let that deter him, as he glared over at King Duke, pushing to pull himself backup to his feet as he faced the crowd with a serious demeanor. He refused to let himself be beaten down and submitted, not now, not in front of the other two Draconan boys.

Arcadios kept the lashings up, fighting to hold back the tears that swelled in his eyes. When finally the last blow came before King Duke shouted for him to stop. The knight was surprised to hear that the young king was calling off the beatings, as was everyone else in the crowd. Natsu collapsed to his knees, unable to stand up anymore. He panted heavily, unable to completely fall to the ground as his chains kept him upright. His back radiated in pain, the deep gashes oozed blood, as streams of the crimson liquid soaked the wooden stage.

"By my count that is an even fifteen," King Duke said as he held up a hand to stop Arcadios from swinging the whip forth. "I can see that you have a strong spirit Draconan, and perhaps if you beg me I will call off the whipping and bring an end to your torment. Just admit that you, and your people are sworn subjects to the king, and that you will never try to disobey mine, or any of my knight's commands. All you have to do is submit."

"Fuck you," Natsu growled spitting at the feet of King Duke, before standing to his feet. "I may have sworn to protect the house of Heartfilia, but you'll have to do a lot more to break the spirit of a Draconan! You've enslaved us and beaten us, taken us away from our homes and destroyed our land. Now you want us to submit to you like dogs? I refuse."

"You are either very brave, or very foolish," King Duke laughed in a mocking tone. "Arcadios, add another twenty lashings to his punishment. We'll see just how long this Draconan spirit keeps up."

Arcadios hesitated, but again he raised the whip and struck the boy once more as he let out a cry of pain. In the distance the other slaves watched on, finding themselves becoming infuriated. They had never much cared for the boy, his name and presence was taboo even to them. But there was something about his words, and seeing him there on the platform stirred a different sense of emotions in them. They had resented the boy for many years, but seeing one of their own publically humiliated and ashamed while he stood up to the king was starting to ignite a spark in them.

They watched as his lashings continued, blood squirting forth with each and every blow. Yet the boy persisted. They began to exchange glances with one another each one thinking the same thing; that there was a deep respect beginning to form for Natsu.

At last the final blow came before Arcadios picked up the whip. Natsu seethed, his body feeling half dead. King Jude motioned for a few of his guards to move over and unhinge the boy's change from the post. They complied, causing the pink haired teen to collapse to his stomach with a loud thump, blood pouring from his gaping wounds as a puddle of blood formed around him.

Sting and Rogue looked on approvingly before they too were taken away, back to the tower, by a few prison guards as well. Natsu lay there on the wooden platform motionless, the majority of the crowd began to wonder if he were dead or not. Jellal felt Erza's grip tighten in his hand, as he could see the red head glaring angrily at the spectacle. They watched as King Duke took a couple of steps closer to Natsu, but made sure that he wasn't close enough to let his boots get wet from the blood.

"So, how about that Draconan spirit, eh?" he teased stepping on the back of Natsu's head, grinding his face into the stage. "You and your people are pathetic, don't you forget that."

With that he stepped away walking back towards King Jude. The older king peered at him with admiration as he wrapped an arm around the young king's shoulders as he and his company made their way back inside.

Iwan sustained his hold on Lucy tightening his grip around her delicate frame, preventing the girl from escaping but he allowed her to continue crying in his chest. Levy was the only one of the king's company that had not gone into the castle as she could see how devastated the young princes was. She bit her lip placing a hand on her mistress's shoulder not knowing what to say. She and Iwan just watched as the guards grabbed Natsu and proceeded to drag him off to the dungeons.

"It's over my dear," Iwan said stroking her hair, "it's over. How about you return to your room for the evening. I'll tell your father of your absence. Levy, how about you escort the young princess back to her quarters?"

"Yes, my Lord," Levy said with a nod as she took the princess in her arms. She could feel the weight of the blonde falling against her as the two of them made their way back towards the castle gates.

Iwan on the other hand stayed where he was as walked up the wooden steps on top of the platform. He could see that most of the towns people had gone, but he could see that many of the slaves still kept their eyes on the pink haired teen as he was carted away. The noble smiled to himself before turning back towards the castle.

As Iwan made his way back he bypassed a cloaked man, sitting on a barrel near the gate. "Well that was interesting," the cloaked man hissed, but kept his head down to appear inconspicuous.

"Yes, yes it was," Iwan answered with a sly smirk. "Things are going far better than I could have ever hoped. "

**A/N: Please don't hate me.**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The Dungeons

Natsu found himself hauled down into the depths of the dungeon where he was tossed into his cell, his body slammed hard onto the old, hard ground with a loud thud. He grunted, barely summing up enough energy to roll to his side, but he was so physically exhausted he could no longer move beyond that point. He could still feel the throbbing of the lash wounds, the sensation of warm blood on his naked skin. The ground may have been cold, but it did provide him some comfort in his otherwise callous body aches.

Gajeel walked over to the edge of his own cell and peered down at the motionless boy. He then picked up a cup of water that was nearby and dripped some of it into Natsu's open mouth. The boy slurped on the water, desperate to get as much in it in his mouth as he possibly could. Once the cup was all but empty the boy found his eyelids getting heavier and heavier until finally darkness over took him.

"Don't bother," the guard sneered at Gajeel. "the boy is all but finished. You best stay away from him or else suffer the same fte."

The teen stared at him with a fierce scowl. He didn't care what the guard said, he took his seat next to his pink haired cell mate and watched to make sure that they boy didn't stop breathing while he was unconscious. He sighed, sitting down on the floor resting his chin on his hand.

Meanwhile in the castle Lucy was crying in her room as Levy tried her best to comfort the young princess. It was no use, Lucy sobbed as she lied in bed unable to get the sounds of slashing whips and Natsu's cries of pain out of her head. She could see him there, half naked on the stage awaiting torment, and though she hadn't actually seen him get whipped once, the image of it continued to play over and over in her mind's eye. She didn't understand why it was the one thing she didn't want to think about was plaguing her so much.

Levy sat by Lucy's side not knowing what to say. She rubbed her hand on the princess's back as the young blonde continued to cry into her pillow. The princess clasping her dragon necklace in her hand, seeking some comfort in the small pennant.

"My Lady," Levy asked gently, "is there anything I can get you that would help you feel any better?"

"No," Lucy sighed through her sobs. "But thank you, Levy. You've always been such a good friend to me."

Lucy turned to offer the young handmaiden a friendly smile before rolling back over to her side. She wanted to see him, more than anything she wanted to make sure that Natsu was okay. She just didn't know how she was going to do it, or if she would be able to do it. She cringed as she thought of him down there in the dungeon lying in pain. And after a long time of contemplating it, she decided that she was going to do precisely that.

"Levy," Lucy exhaled with a soft breath, "could you give me a few moments to myself? I just want to be alone for a little while."

"Of course my Lady," Levy said as she stood up to leave. "You take as much time as you need."

With that Levy took her leave as she walked towards the bedroom door. Before she left she took one concerned look back at the blonde princess before closing the door behind her. Once Levy was gone Lucy picked herself up out of her bed, got herself ready before she made a quick dash to her bedroom door and peered around the hallway to make sure that there was no one around. Once she was sure the coast was clear she veiled her head with the hood and quickly ran to the stairwell, making sure not to cause a commotion.

"I can't believe Duke would do such a horrible thing," Erza growled as she drained a pit of ale. "The man is a monster, Jellal."

"I know," Jellal said sipping on his own beer. "But there's nothing we can do about it now."

The two of them had returned back to the tavern they had originally sat at before the public punishment. The young red head was still somewhat furious about the day's events as she slammed the mug down on the bar counter. The bartender made his way over to replace the drink, but no sooner had he placed it down in front of her, that she gulped all in one sitting.

Jellal snorted to himself as he watched the red head from the corner of his eye while taking another sip of his own ale. Erza slammed the other mug on the bar counter, signaling that she wanted a fresh mug. The bartender leered at her, but ignored her request as he went about serving other customers. Erza waited for her own mug to be refilled, but noticed that she was being ignored. She was about to shout at the bartender when she felt Jellal's hand clasped on her shoulder.

"I think you need to slow it down a bit Erza," he said taking a sip of beer.

"Don't tell me to slow it down," Erza growled, slamming the mug on the wooden counter to get the bartender's attention. The burly man scowled at her as he began to grow agitated.

"Here," Jellal said offering her his mug, "just take mine."

"I don't want yours," she sneered. "I want my own mug of beer. My money is good here."

"Well first off I don't know if I should be offended by that," the young noble said raising an eyebrow. "And I'm pretty sure that it's my money that's going to pay for the beer."

"Fine," Erza exhaled deeply, "than _your_ money is good here."

"Yeah, I know my money is good here, but I'm pretty sure that you don't need to drink anymore for the night," Jellal told her as he finished hi smug. "Come on, it's getting late, we should start heading back to the castle."

The red head resisted at first, but Jellal was finally able to pull her from her chair and drag her towards the door. Erza fought back, flailing her arms, but Jellal finally managed to pull her out the door. Once outside Erza stumbled to her feet, as Jellal noticed that her face was a tad flushed. He then realized that the girl must be a little drunk.

The two of them made their way back to the castle gate, Erza began to stumble forward as Jellal caught her. The young noble sighed in agitation as he helped carry the young red head back. As they passed through the castle gates Jellal noticed something strange, a black hooded figure making his way to one of the halls that led towards the dungeon.

He reflected on what happened earlier that day when he saw that cloaked figure he and Erza saw in the tavern. "Erza, stay here I need to check something out," he said as he sat her down near the wall and followed the hooded figure down the corridor. He could hear Erza shouting cries of protest as he left her behind, but he opted to ignore her for now.

Meanwhile Lucy finally made her way down into the dungeons. It was difficult enough to see in dark corridors of the dungeon halls, but it was even worse that the sun had gone down and the only source of light was the dim lit torches on the walls. What made it worse was the hood of the black cloak she was wearing; it obscured her vision for the most part, but she carried on nonetheless, until finally she arrived at a row of rusty bared cells. On the ground of one cell lied a motionless Natsu.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted as she ran over to the door of his cell.

The sound of her voice startled Gajeel as the other young Draconan was stirred awake. He staggered to his feet, scowling at the hooded figure in front of him with serious eyes. He wondered who the hooded figure was, the hood shrouded her face in the already murky darkness.

"Who the hell are you?" he growled demandingly.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried as Natsu was finally roused awake.

"What? Who are you?" he asked in a half dead voice. He peered up from he ground at the hooded figure standing before him. Gajeel continued to glare at her with menacing eyes, but Lucy just ignored him.

She had forgotten about the hood as she ripped it off to reveal herself to him. Both Natsu's and Gajeel's eyes went wide as they saw her standing there, tears swelling up in her already whimpered eyes. Natsu immediately pulled himself to his feet, his back radiating in pain as he did so. He stumbled forward, catching himself on the bars as the glided towards her, banging into the iron bars in front of her as she caught him.

Neither of them hesitated as they kissed one another through the gap in the bars. Her lips like sweet, revitalizing nectar to him. Her cheeks were soggy from all the crying, but he didn't care. He couldn't believe that she was there with him. Finally, after several moments of passionate kissing they finally broke away, Lucy still fighting back tears as Natsu caressed her cheek. She grabbed onto his hand taking it in hers as she let him rub her cheek before she quickly went back in for another kiss.

Gajeel watched from the next cell over, bewildered and amazed by what was transpiring. He shook his head and knocked on the side of it with an open palm, just to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. Though now that he knew that he was awake, he was still in a phase of disbelief.

"Why are you here?" Natsu panted as they broke away for a second time. He stroked the bangs from in front of her eyes.

"I had to see you," Lucy told him. "I had to make sure that you were okay. After what happened today I—"

"Shh," Natsu said cutting her off. "There's no need to worry about me Lucy. I'm fine. And with you here I'm even better now."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Gajeel shouted. "What in the name of the gods is going on here?"

"Lucy, can you please answer me one thing?" Natsu asked her, as he whipped a single tear away from her eye. Gjaeel snarled to himself leaning up against the iron bars of his own cell; he didn't like being ignored. But he figured that he wasn't going to get anywhere even if he did protest.

"What is it?" she asked.

"If I told you I planed on running away in the next couple of days, with Gajeel and the others, would you be willing to come with me now?" Natsu asked her caressing her cheek gently, resting his forehead on hers.

"Of course," Lucy blurted out right before she leaned in and kissed him again. "I don't care where we go, or what they do. I just want to be with you, and I don't want to see you hurt anymore. I just can't bear it."

"Hey, hey, come on now," Natsu said smiling at her, but she could see that the boy was in an immense amount of agony even though he tried to play it off as nothing. "Lucy, it's me. I can handle anything anyone throws at me. These wounds will heal, but losing you is something I can't have"

She sighed to herself as she leaned in for another kiss. Gajeel watched from the far corner making fake gaging noises, but they couldn't hear them. The other Draconan sighed to himself as he leaned against the bars of his cell waiting for it all to be over. Natsu and Lucy stood there, kissing one another in peaceful tranquility their lips interlocking as she felt Natsu's hand on her cheek.

"My Lady?" a young feminine voice gasped from behind.

Lucy's eyes, her heart skipping a beat as she turned around to see Levy standing behind her. The young handmaiden was just as equally shocked as the princess as her eyes darted back and forth between her and Natsu.

"Levy," Lucy gasped, "what are you doing here?"

"I thought I saw you leaving the castle, so I followed you," she answered nervously. "What are you . . . when did this happen?"

"Levy please," Lucy pleaded, "you can't tell anyone what you saw here."

"What did I see here?" she gasped in shock.

"I saw the two of them kissing, I don't know what you saw," Gajeel yelled back at her. The small girl nearly leapt in place as she realized that Gajeel was standing in the corner of his cell eyeing her carefully. The sight of the bandit frightened her, but her mind was still on the princess.

"Well what do we have here?" another voice said down the hallway.

Levy jumped in place as Jellal passed by her. She felt her heart racing seeing this new, unfamiliar face in her presence. Lucy was stunned, seeing this foreign man approaching her. Levy watched nervously as Jellal took a couple of steps closer to the young blonde princess. Natsu scowled, and despite his wounds he was not about to let anyone hurt Lucy.

"Who are you?" Lucy demanded, but the worry in his voice was evident.

"Oh right, I'm King Duke's nobleman, Jellal," he chuckled, introducing himself with a courteous bow.

"Duke?" Natsu growled.

"Down boy," Gajeel told him.

"What are you doing here?" Lucy demanded eyeing him suspiciously.

"I was following a strange hooded figure, someone that I thought I had seen before, yet to my utter shock it turned out to be Princess Lucy herself. Not to mention the events that transpired after I had found you here," he said.

"Are you going to tell King Duke what you saw here this evening?" Lucy asked as Jellal saw the gaze of worry in her eyes. Natsu placed his hand on her shoulder hoping to soothe her.

"No," he said shaking his head as he peered up at her and back at Natsu.

"How can we be certain that we can trust you?" Natsu growled.

"Jellal!" another voice called out before the young noble had a chance to answer. Jellal sighed to himself as he turned around to see Erza stumbling towards them. "Jellal! What do you think you're doing? Just leaving me behind at the castle gates like that?"

Levy stepped aside as the red haired girl approached, letting her by pass. She could see the menacing glare in this new girl's eyes and she was not about to stand in the way of her aggression. Erza just simply passed her in a drunken manner before finally coming within a couple of feet from Jellal, placing her hands on her hips as she fought to keep her balance.

"Erza, what are you doing here?" Jellal asked her.

"What do you mean what am I doing her?" she slurred. "I'm your knight, I'm supposed to protect you. How am I going to do that when you just abandon me at the gate without telling me where you were going?"

"Your knight?" Lucy asked. She, and everyone else, stared at Jellal with quizzical eyes.

"I thought women weren't allowed to be knights?" Gajeel asked confused from the next cell.

"Well you thought wrong!" Erza snapped at him, causing the young teen to recoil back.

"No, that's true women are not allowed to become knights," Lucy said confused.

"I originally tried out to become that little bastard king's knight, and I should have! But because I'm a woman he chastised me and threw me out of his sight. So, unfortunately I had to become Jellal's personal guard."

"Why do you have to say it like it's a bad thing," Jellal grumbled.

"Jellal, is this true?" Lucy asked him.

"Yes," he sighed admittedly. "So I guess you can say that we both share a secret now, eh princess?"

"Princess?" Erza said confused. It was in that moment that she just realized that Lucy was standing in front of her. "Oh, wait a minute that's the princess? What is she doing here?"

"She was busy kissing this duffus over here," Gajeel said motioning towards Natsu.

"Oh, isn't that sweet," Erza giggled. "But you Jellal," she hissed at the young nobleman, "you're in trouble."

"Oh, and the knight who defied her lord's orders isn't?" he asked skeptically.

"Don't change the subject!" Erza said slapping him.

"Are you certain she's a knight?" Lucy whispered to Jellal. "She doesn't look like it, and she certainly does not act like it."

"She's a special case," Jellal chuckled awkwardly.

That didn't appear to go over too well with Erza who continued to berate Jellal with insults and profanities. Lucy was shocked, wanting to step in for a second, but she was a bit afraid to get in between the red head and Jellal. Even Levy just watched from afar, but then found her eyes wondering back towards Gajeel, the bandit just sat slouched over on the floor looking annoyed.

Natsu began to get a little annoyed, but he was too tired to do anything about it. But as he watched them, an idea crept up into his head. Perhaps Jellal could prove to be the man they needed. But he couldn't be certain that this man was someone they could really trust. He had never met him before and the fact that he was a nobleman of King Duke's court didn't really help. But as he watched Erza howl at him, he began to second guess his untrusting instincts.

"Hey, Jellal," Natsu interrupted Erza.

"Yeah?" Jellal asked turning to face the pink haired boy. Both Lucy and Erza were staring at him as well.

"Do you think you can do me a favor?" Natsu asked him.

The noble gazed at him quizzically but nodded his head. "Yeah sure, what do you want me to do? I can't free you though, if that's what you were going to ask. I don't have that kind of power."

"No, nothing like that," Natsu said shaking his head. "I was hoping you could deliver a message to someone for me, but the thing is I don't know if I can trust you or not."

"If it's a message than sure," Jellal told him. "I don't blame you for not wanting to trust me. Though, I have my own personal quarrel with King Duke as well. His rule and his treatment of the people is brash, and unkind. It will only lead to further problems in the future. I hope you can understand that, though I am technically one of his council, I bode no ill will towards you, or the Draconan people."

"Anybody can say that they're your friends, but it's only actions that prove whether or not those words are true," Natsu said. "If you can, please go into town, find the blacksmith named Bob and ask him to come visit me tomorrow."

"And how will I know this Bob person?" Jellal asked eyeing the boy skeptically.

"He's a bit out of the ordinary," Natsu chuckled.

"That really doesn't help me," Jellal sighed, folding his arms across his chest.

"Oh, trust me," Natsu said with a smirk. "When you see him you'll know."

"Well, all right then," Jellal said nodding his head. "I'll see him tomorrow morning and let him know. But as I see it, it's probably not good for a noble, his female knight, the kingdom's princess, and handmaiden to linger in the dungeons much longer. We've already had too many surprises down here as it was, I don't think we need to be here if one of the guards comes patrolling by."

"I agree," Erza nodding her head, a motion that nearly caused the red head to topple over had Jellal not caught her. "Princess Lucy, if you wish I and my knight can escort you and your handmaiden back to your rooms if you wish."

"Yes, thank you Master Jellal," Lucy answered as Jellal and Erza began to make their way to the ext. She turned around and kissed Natsu one last time before she followed them out. Levy waited for her, her eyes on the two Draconan men in their cells.

"My Lady," she scowled disapprovingly at the young princess, as she placed her hands on her hips, "why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Natsu and I didn't want anyone to know," Lucy sighed. "I'm sorry Levy, but it was our secret to keep."

"Oh well," the young handmaiden sighed, but allowed a smile to form across her lips. "I just wish that you would be able to trust me more about these kinds of things in the future. I'm just glad to hear that your aggression towards Natsu all these years was to secretly hide your love."

Lucy blushed as she heard Levy speak those words. She was a bit embarrassed that the young handmaiden was now giggling at her excitedly. The whole development had put her at unease, though she had to admit that she was somewhat thankful that somebody knew about her relationship with the pink haired Draconan.

Though her mind began to dwell on other things, like who this young noble was that was taking her back to the castle. He seemed friendly enough, but she was a bit frightened by the red haired girl that was traveling with him. The she-knight may have been quite now that they were leaving, but she was still menacing. Though what pained her the most was whether or not she could really trust them, the same dilemma that Natsu had. Her mind flooded with worry as she wondered if they were just simply tricking them.

"Excuse me, Master Jellal?" Lucy asked the young noble walking in front of her.

"Yeah?" he said as he looked back at her.

"Why are you willing to help us, or Natsu for that matter? You don't even know us," Lucy said nervously.

"There's no need to worry my Lady," Jellal said offering her a friendly grin. "I'm not one without secrets. If King Duke were to ever find out that I had Erza as my personal guard, I would probably loose my title and be exiled. But the truth of the matter is, my father was a good friend of the Draconans, and he was a major advocate against the invasion and persecution of the people. So much so, that he gave up his life fighting to protect them in the Dragon Wars. I guess you can say that I'm just continuing to follow my father's legacy."

"But you don't know Natsu at all, why take the risk?" Lucy asked demandingly.

"I already took the risk on Erza, and how I see it, Natsu was unjustly punished today for nothing. Call it sympathy, but I feel obliged to do something. That, and I am more than happy to help out the daughter of Queen Layla," he said smiling back at her.

"You knew my mother?" Lucy asked shocked.

"Yes, but only for a little while," he sighed. "I owe her a great deal of debt for saving my life back when I was younger, so if there is anything you need from me I am more than happy to do it."

"Wow," Lucy said, a sudden urge of relief swelled over her, "thank you."

"And as Jellal's sworn guardian, I will help and protect anyone that is his friend," Erza added. "You have my word, my Lady."

"Thank you," she exhaled with a sigh of relief, "both of you."

"Think nothing of it my Lady," Jellal said reassuring her.

The next morning King Duke made his way down to the dinning hall where he saw Lord Jean-Luc already eating breakfast. He bid the older lord a good morning as he took a seat. As soon as he sat down a couple of servants made their way over and poured him a mug of water and placed a plate of bread and jam in front of him.

"Jean-Luc, how fare you this morning?" King Duke asked as he spread some jam on a piece of bread.

"I am doing well young lord," Jean-Luc answered. "And how are you faring? Are you doing well?"

"Of course," King Duke answered, "why wouldn't I be?"

"No matter," Jean-Luc said waving it off. "I am just a little concerned about the Draconan boys. I don't think they'll be swayed to join our side if you are willing to treat them in such an abysmal manner."

"The servants must know their place, my Lord," King Duke retorted.

"But they'll refuse to accept their place if you continue to berate and belittle them in such a manner. Don't forget, those boys are powerful, and the once you unlock their chains they would sooner scorch you to death than fight a war for you. If I were you, I treat them with some more kindness and respect, and let them accept you as their lord rather than force it," Jean-Luc told him.

"Well, you're not me now are you," King Duke quipped as he washed his bread down with some water. "I will treat my servants how I see fit, and you can treat yours as you see you fit."

"Well don't you forget young lord," Jean-Luc scolded him, "you are not married to Princess Lucy yet, and until that happens two of those Draconans are still under my care."

"I am sorry my Lord," King Duke chuckled. "I meant now offense. Let us not toil about and force ourselves to be enemies, when we are so close to an alliance that would unite our lands."

"Remember young king, you are not the ruler of this land just yet, and my loyalty is to my dear friend Jude," Jean-Luc told him.

"My Lords," Iwan said as he approached the table, greeting them with a courteous grin, "how are the two of you doing this morning."

"Fine, Lord Iwan," King Duke greeted him. "Please," he said gesturing for the noble to take a seat. Iwan complied with a nod as he sat down next to the young king.

"Ivan my Lord," Ivan said as he took a seat next to the young king.

"Excuse me?" King Duke said raising an eyebrow at him.

"My true name is Ivan," he answered. "I never had the nerve to correct King Jude about his mistake, but enough of that. I wanted to let you know that I have heard some very interesting rumors as of late."

"What kinds of rumors?" King Duke as with an intrigued stare.

Before he continued speaking Ivan waved the servants away telling them that this was a private matter. When they had all gone he turned back to the other two lords, "It appears that there is another Draconan child somewhere out west," Ivan told them. "A young girl off in Nirvit."

"Well now isn't that interesting," King Duke said rubbing his chin. "That's very interesting indeed."

Unbeknownst to the three lords Jellal had been wondering down the hall to make his way into town to meet with Bob for Natsu when he overheard them talking. He stopped for a second, slipping behind the wall to see if he could eavesdrop a little bit longer on them before he left. He knew that Erza would grow impatient with him, but hearing the three men talk about another Draconan had him all too interested.

"Well another weapon to add to the arsenal, eh?" King Duke chuckled. "What do you think, Lord Jean-Luc?"

"I think we have enough Draconans for now, my Lord," Jean-Luc answered as he took a sip from his goblet. Now if you'll excuse me gentlemen I have somewhere I need to be."

With that the third lord took his leave. Jellal watched as he walked down the opposite hallway away from them. Once Jean-Luc had gone Jellal noticed that Ivan and Duke returned to their conversation.

"I disagree with Jean-Luc," Ivan said taking a sip from his own goblet. "I think that having as many of those children under our command can only make us that much more powerful."

"Well then I think I would side with you on this one," King Duke said nodding his head. "Four Draconan beasts would make us powerful, but five and we could conquer the entire continent of Fiore."

"Together we could become a great an powerful force," Ivan said as he raised his goblet and clanked it with Duke's.

Jellal felt a swirl of distress in his gut as he heard them contemplating a way of adding the girl to their arsenal. The young noble was stunned by how they casual they were in their discussion. He didn't linger any longer before he ran to the castle walls. He had to tell Erza what he had heard and hopefully tell Bob to warn Natsu as well.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Who Can I Trust?

The next morning Jellal rushed to the town to find Bob and pass on the message that Natsu had asked him to carry. He knew that he should stop to find Erza first, but most importantly he had to let this Bob character know of what Ivan and Duke were planning. He would need Erza's help as well, but he wasn't sure whether he should go see Erza or Bob first. He figured that it would be better to go straight to Bob, the information was far more critical.

He made his way through the tow square until he came to what he suspected was the blacksmith's shop. He walked inside where he found a fairly lit fireplace with a pudgy man standing in front of it. He held a sword in the flame before hammering it out on the anvil that rested nearby. Jellal could see the man was a bit odd, and not because of his size, but he had what appeared to be makeup and eyeliner on, and a coy smile that lined his fat lips.

"Bob?" Jellal asked as he stepped inside the musty interior of the shop. The smell of heated metal swelled in his nostrils making the young noble a bit queasy, hay crinkling under his feet.

Jellal was a bit cautious, this man may have looked rotund, but there was something else about him. He was strange, to Jellal there was no doubt about that, but at the same time he could sense that there was some hint of kindness and friendliness about this man. Natsu was certainly right, he would know the man as soon as he saw him.

"Oh, hello there," Bob greeted Jellal with a wide grin as he continued to hammer away on the sword. "What can I do for you young master? You need some fine tuning or polish on your armor, or perhaps a nice new sword to commemorate the upcoming wedding day of Princess Lucy and King Duke?"

"My name is Jellal," the young noble said as he approached the pudgy old man, "I have a message from Natsu for you."

"Oh, really?" Bob said as he placed the hammer down on the table.

He wiped his hands in his apron as he walked towards the young man. He eyed Jellal a bit skeptically, not sure whether he believed him or not. He wondered why a noble would be carrying a message from a slave boy. He was never one to trust nobles, especially in Konvern, but this was a noble he had never seen before, and he was certain was not one that was from the country. Though that made it more troublesome.

"Yes," Jellal told him, "he needs you to visit him in the dungeons as soon as you possibly can,"

Bob just snorted before going back to his workbench to continue hammering. The boy must be taking him as a fool. Nobody would be stupid enough to go into the dungeons, especially not to see a slave. He didn't know what game this nobleman was playing at. He just went back to his sword, hammering away as chuckling to himself.

"You don't believe me?" Jeallal sighed.

He wanted to know what he could say that would convince the old man that he was in fact on ally. He pondered it over, but then he remembered Lucy telling him about the necklace she wore around her neck. It was a gift from Natsu originally, but according to the princess it was made by a blacksmith. Perhaps Bob was the man she was talking about. If that were the case, maybe he could use it to persuade him.

"I know about Princess Lucy and Natsu," Jellal blurted out without thinking his words over more carefully. Almost immediately on cue, Bob ceased his hammering as he turned and faced the boy with a cautious glanc.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Bob chuckled pretending to just wave it off, but from the corner of his eye Jellal could see that the blacksmith was gripping the hammer close to his body.

"Don't worry, I'm a friend," Jellal said holding up his hand. "Lucy told me about the necklace Natsu gave her as a child. She said that it was made by a blacksmith; a friend of Natsu. You were the one that made it weren't you?"

"Depends," Bob said as he folded his arms across his chest; he still kept his firm grip on the hammer.

"Listen, I know you don't know me, and I know that you don't trust me," Bob scoffed at the obvious statement, "but you have to believe me when I say that you have to see Natsu. It's very important."

"And why is it so important?" Bob asked raising an eyebrow.

"He wouldn't tell me," Jellal admitted, scratching the back of his head. He could see that the blacksmith was becoming more skeptical with him now. "But there is something that I need you to tell him if you do choose to go and see him. Tell him that Ivan and Duke have discovered the whereabouts of a fifth Draconan child that has the ability to transform as they do. Whatever he's planning, we have to make sure that this child does not fall into their hands."

"Well then, is that all?" Bob asked as he turned back to his anvil. Jellal watched him as he went back to hammering the sword.

"So, are you going to deliver the message or not?" Jellal asked raising an eyebrow. He sounded a bit agitated but the old man just hummed away with each and every strike. The clanging of metal the only sound that echoed in that dark, musky shop.

"That remains to be seen," Bob told him.

"Please," Jellal sighed before leaving, "if you do decide to see Natsu, give him that message for me."

"Just answer me one question," Bob said before Jellal took another step outside the door. "Why do all this? Why do you care to help out a slave boy like Natsu? You're a noble, and more likely than not, one from Junelle, what do you have to gain from all this?"

"Honor," Jellal told him. "My father sacrificed his life for the sake of protecting Junelle and keeping peace within the realms. I cannot simply stand by and watch as Duke destroys it and brings about ruin to the entire island."

"You are not your father," Bob said, pounding the sword one more time, eyeing Jellal carefully. "You are who you are, and your father was who he was. His fight was his, not yours. Most men claim that they wish to carry out the legacy of their fathers, but rarely is it a cause for treason. What is it that truly compels you young lord? What is it that you would be willing to risk everything for? Honor is always such a simple answer, but treason would only bring about dishonor. There is something else that compels yous."

Jellal sighed to himself, taking in a deep breath before turning back to the strange elderly man. "There is somebody that I care deeply about. She is a close friend of mine, somebody that I would give my life for. She doesn't know it yet, and I would do anything to protect her. I know that with the way things are now, I may never get to show her how much I care. I will do anything to protect her, and if that means committing treason, I will gladly do it."

"You would overthrow your own king, all for the sake of some girl?" Bob asked gravely.

"Yes," Jellal answered with a serious gaze.

"Good answer," Bob chuckled with a wide grin.

Jellal watched him for a bit while longer, seeing him strike away on the same sword he had been working on ever since he walked into the shop. The man was odd, the young noble had to admit that, but there was something else about him. A gentle demeanor and a trusting spirit. He could see why the slave boy put so much trust in this man.

When he took a couple of steps outside it dawned on him that he had just admitted that he was willing to commit treason. He turned back to stare at the old man, perplexed that he had just told a complete stranger his feelings; feelings that he had never told anyone before. 'How did he do that?' Jellal wondered.

"Jellal there you are!" Erza growled as Jellal snapped back to reality. "Where have you been? Do you know how long I've been waiting for you?"

He noticed that she wasn't wearing the peasant girl costume, instead she was dressed with a armored breastplate, and a long cobalt dress with her sword fastened to her hip. She glared at him with her arms crossed over her chest; the leather gloves that covered her hands draped under her armpits. The young man sighed to himself as he saw her standing there knowing that he was definitely going to hear her rant about it as the day progressed.

"Sorry," Jellal apologized.

"Well did you at least find this Bob man you were looking for?" she asked sternly.

"Yeah," Jellal said gesturing behind him. "I just delivered the message, but there is something else that we need to talk about, something important."

Erza eyed him skeptically; she wasn't one to get over things easily. She looked more agitated than anything. Jellal took a guess and assumed that she must be suffering from a hangover, since she did seem a little tipsy last night. But the thing that worried him the most was the outfit she decided to dress in. He hadn't seen her wear it before, except for maybe the breastplate, but that was back when she fought in the tournament. How could she have possibly snuck it in?

That's when he noticed that wondering eyes fell on the two of them. He could hear the sound of the townspeople's murmurs as they watched the two of them, occasionally looking away pretending weren't. Sounds of who this "girl" could be and why on Earth she was wearing armor. He began to worry, hoping that these rumors wouldn't find their way to the castle but he couldn't be too sure.

"Come on," he said taking Erza by the hand; a gesture that at first startled the red head, as she could feel him pulling her away to a more secure location.

As the two of them walked away, Bob had been watching the entire thing, giggling to himself. He placed his chin on his hand as he gazed out at them, the young noble and the crazy looking girl. He smiled to himself, deciding that he would deliver the message to Natsu. The dungeons wouldn't be too bad, especially if one knew their way around down there, and fortunately for him he knew it all too well himself.

Later, Bob dressed himself in a brown, moldy cloak, and snuck his way into the dungeons. It wasn't too difficult, most guards were either busy on patrol through the city, or on watch on the walls. Those that were left to guard the dungeons themselves were usually the younger, inexperienced ones who would rather drink wine and gamble than do their jobs. As long as he remained quiet, Bob would slip on by undetected.

He made his way down into the deep parts of the dungeons. There on the floor he saw the pink haired teen, sitting up against the wall sleeping. He saw another teen in the cell adjacent to Natsu's, with a black haired teen lying on the floor snoring loudly. As Bob crept closer, he quelled under some disgusting stench. He covered his nose and pressed on, though he didn't know how much longer he could endure it.

"Natsu," the old man whispered quickly before covering his nose once again.

The pink haired boy didn't budge. Bob sighed to himself as he said the boy's name again, this time a little bit louder. Still the boy did not move, now Bob was becoming a little more desperate. He didn't want to alert any of the guards so again he said the boy's name, a little bit loud, his eyes peering through the other cells and down the hallways to make sure that nobody had overheard him.

This time he got a response, though it was not from Natsu, it was instead the black haired teen who was stirring. Gajeel sat up, blinking his eyes as he looked to see the where the source of the noise was coming from when he saw Bob.

"Uh," Gajeel mumbled as he sat up. "Hey, dumbass, you got another visitor. This time it looks like some fat old man; probably Bob by the looks of him."

Bob scowled at the other young Draconan, who just ignored him and went back to sleep. Though he did manage to awaken Natsu as the other slave boy sat up in his cell, seeing Bob standing on the other side. A wide grin crossed the boy's lips as he leapt to his feet and ran over to the pudgy fat man.

"Good, so Jellal did deliver the message to you," the boy chuckled happily.

"Yes, he did," Bob said nodding his head. "What is it that you wanted to tell me?"

Bob peered both ways to make sure that the two of them were able to speak in private. They couldn't afford to have someone eavesdrop on them, or worse have a guard walk on by and catch the blacksmith in the dungeons. Once it was clear he motioned for Natsu to continue. The boy then proceeded to explain the plan to Bob, who made sure to listen with the utmost intensity.

"Very well," Bob said nodding his head. His eyes darted down the hollow, dark hallways just to make sure that they were still in the clear. "I will do exactly that. Just wait a little while longer, okay?"

"Thank you, Bob," Natsu said breathing a sigh of relief. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"My boy," Bob said as he reached in to place a comforting hand on the boy's shoulders, "it's a pleasure to help you in your time of need. For all that you have done for me these past several years it's the least I can do. But before I leave there is still something that I must tell you."

"What is it?" Natsu asked him.

"You're new friend, Jellal, has asked me to pass on a message as well," Bob began. "He said to tell you that they have discovered another Draconan child of similar talents out west, or so they suspect. Once you are free you must seek out this child and insure that neither Duke, or Ivan get a hold of her."

"Ivan?" Natsu asked perplexed. "Who is Ivan?"

"Lord Iwan's real name is Ivan," Bob told him. "He's been disguising his name for years now. For what purposes I do not know, but from what I understand he is not someone we can trust."

"No," Natsu said shaking his head, "Not Iwan. Jellal must be mistaken Lord Iwan is my friend, he has been so since I was a child. He must have misheard, or perhaps he's over exaggerating what Iwan must have said, but I know that we can trust Iwan."

"Don't be so certain Natsu," Bob interjected. "I find it hard for us to trust any of the nobles at this point. It is not rare that nobles will turn on their own in order to get a higher position in politics. They may appear to be your friend one day, and the next they can become your greatest enemy. This is why I feel that we cannot trust the young lord Jellal anymore than we can trust Iwan."

"Than that means we can't trust Jellal," Natsu growled. "I thought that he could be a friend, and seeing you here made me think that perhaps he would be, but now I don't know. Iwan is the one who's been trying to help us this whole time, so regardless, I will trust my friends when the time comes."

"Natsu at this current time I don't know if there really is anyone we can trust," he said eyeing the sleeping Gajeel. "Just do me a favor boy, when the time comes for you to escape, take it. Don't let anything stop you from being free. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," Natsu said nodding his head. Just then they heard the sound of a door slamming somewhere farther down the dungeon halls.

"I must go," Bob said as he covered his head in his cloak once more. As he turned to leave Natsu grabbed onto his sleeve.

"Bob if you do see Jellal again, please pass on another message for me," Natsu said. He could hear the sound of footsteps approaching, the echo of metal on stone clanging echoed throughout the dungeon halls.

"Make it quick, we haven't much time boy," Bob whispered as he peered back at Natsu. He was growing even more nervous as the sounds of the footsteps grew louder, Natsu could sense the jitteriness in the older man's movements.

"Tell him to let Lucy know what's going on, that we plan to do all of this on the day of her wedding," Natsu whispered to him.

"I will boy," Bob said as he jerked his cloak away, disappearing into the darkness.

Natsu watched him go as he walked back to his original spot and sat down again. When he sat down the footstep were only a few meters away as three prison guards appeared in front of the cell. They eyed him and Gajeel carefully, during their attention down the hallway where Bob had just vanished. When they saw nothing, they continued moving on without uttering a word to the boy. Natsu just smiled to himself as he laid back and closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, at the castle King Jude was busy prepping for the wedding. Slaves and servants ran about with decorations, setting up tables and insuring everything was in place. The dinning hall was being cleaned while tables were set up for guests. Above the tall windows servants hung silk white curtains in place of the usual red ones for the wedding. The outside lawn was being trimmed, fresh flowers were being planted while the regular ones were trimmed.

Jude barked the orders as he moved about to a fro from the outside of the castle to the gardens, back to the dinning hall. He began to get a bit flustered as he yelled at the slaves who complied to his every demand. He was anxious about it, after all, the wedding was to be held on Princess Lucy's birthday, which was only a days away at this point and he wanted to make sure everything was perfect for the occasion.

"Your Grace," King Duke said as he glided toward the worried Jude, "how are you?"

The king attempted to be friendly, offering the boy a courteous grin, but he was withdrawn in his own panic about making sure everything was set up properly that he practically ignored the other king. King Duke stood next to him, and even followed him about as he paced around the castle frantically. The young man got some king of sick pleasure seeing the king all hyped up. But it was for his wedding day after all.

"I am—" he couldn't finish his sentence before he heard the loud creak of glass shattering on the stone floor. The sound caused him to flinch as King Duke watched him with a raised eyebrow. "Not doing all that well young Lord. It seems like it is impossible for any of the servants to do their jobs properly and make sure everything is prepped for your wedding."

"There is no need to overstress yourself your Grace," King Duke told him. "All will be well in time."

"My Lords," a voice called out from down the hall, as Ivan rushed towards the two of them, Jean-Luc followed behind him.

"Lord Iwan," King Jude called out to him, "Jean-Luc, what can I do for you two? Can't you see that I am very busy at the moment?"

"I know, I know," Ivan said as he waved it off. "You see I have something that I think we need to discus," he said holding up a piece of parchment.

"What's this?" King Jude asked as he took it away from him.

Ivan watched as the king looked the parchment over, examining it closely. Jean-Luc finally managed to catch up to the three of them, a little winded, but carried a glower on his lips. Ivan made sure that the other two kings were looking at him or Duke when he turned to King Duke and nodded. The young king returned it with one of his own, the two of them smirking scarily to one another.

"It's the treaty between the three nations my Lord," Ivan answered him as he took the piece of paper back from Jude.

"Why are you brining this to my attention now?" King Jude growled irritably. "Can't you see that I'm busy prepping for the wedding? And besides, I thought we all agreed to sign the treaty after the wedding was finalized?"

"That's what I thought too," Jean-Luc grumbled as he folded his arms across his chest, scolding Ivan.

"Yes, my Lord," Ivan began, "but than I got to thinking. We don't want to interrupt King Duke on his wedding day as he spends it with Princess Lucy. Neither do we want to interrupt them on their honeymoon either. And since we know that Duke and Lucy are to be wed, than wouldn't it just make more sense for the three of you to do this now?"

"I conquer," King Duke said as he stepped forward gazing over at Jude and Jean-Luc. "Lord Ivan speaks the truth. I think that it would be better for us to get the treaty over with now and not have it strain on our minds when the big day arrives. Plus, I would like to focus on my marriage during my honeymoon instead of politics. And what's the point of waiting several weeks for something we are already assured is going to happen?"

"Very well," King Jude sighed in agitation. "Someone bring us a quill and some ink! And someone else bring me wax with a candle!" he roared out to the servants.

The four of them made their way to the dining table as a slave rushed over with an ink jar and several quills. King Jude sat down in the chair, his eyes skimming the document. Once the jar was set in front of him, he dipped the tip of the quill in the ink and proceeded to sign his name.

"My Lord," Jean-Luc interrupted him before the king had laid down his signature, "don't you think you should read it over first? Make sure that you understand everything that it says?"

"This is the treaty that I wrote though, right?" he asked, but soon realizing he wasn't too sure, not all the articles of it were the same, though for the most part it looked nearly identical. He turned to face Ivan who gazed at him with eager eyes, he bit his lips in restraint.

"Of course my Lord," he answered. "But to be honest King Duke and I looked over your treaty and we took the liberty to make some modifications to the document."

"What kind of modifications?" King Jude asked sternly. He scowled gravely at the two of them.

"I decided to add in King Duke as your heir, which I would assumed would take place after the union between he and your daughter. I did it as a premeditated means to avoid any potential confusion in the future. This way, the treaty proves that Duke is not only rightfully your heir, but lawfully as well. I hope that is okay with you my Lord."

"And I added in a part where the council will also be granted certain authority if they do not see the ruler fit for his title, and therefore they would pass the rule on to the person who is next in line," King Duke said.

"Lucy," King Jude said with a deep breath.

He leaned back in his chair as he thought their words over. He looked up to Jean-Luc, who didn't appear to be all that comfortable with the entire notion. He then gazed up at the other two, seeing that they nodded at him silently telling him that he should sign the treaty. It was in that moment a slave walked up with a candle and a bowl of already melted red wax, which he set down near the king before taking his leave.

The king was growing impatient as he could hear the rustle of slaves working as they walked by. It made it difficult to read, but after skimming it over he saw that the majority of the treaty was the exact same as the one that he originally drawn up earlier. For the most part it was what he wanted, and it appeared that Duke and Iwan did not add in too much that would change it drastically. Growing impatient King Jude did not waste another moment as he quickly signed his signature at the bottom of the parchment. After he had done that, he dripped some of the hot red wax next to his name, and with a ring that bore his mark he pressed hard against it sealing the deal.

"Are you sure my Lord?" Jean-Luc asked once King Jude had finished signing his name.

"It looks like the exact same treaty we already agreed to Jean-Luc, word for word. I glanced at the new addition and everything appears in order," King Jude answered as he walked back towards the crowd of working servants.

"Very well," Jean-Luc sighed as he too signed his name and pressed his mark onto the document. "I'll trust your judgment on this my friend.

"Very good my Lord," Ivan said with a wide smirk. "I think that you are right to trust in King Jude's judgment."

"Let us hope," Jean-Luc grumbled. He did not waste a moment more before he took his leave, disappearing down the corridor.

Once he was gone Ivan and Duke turned to one another, both as equally pleased and excited. Ivan rolled up the parchment and tucked it neatly away in his violet robe as the two of them made their way down the hallway. The two walked side by side, their plan coming together almost perfectly, the same thought passing through the their minds.

"So, we're close now aren't we?" King Duke said as a sly grin crossed his lips. "It is only a matter of time until the plan comes together. I guess I'm getting too anxious to wait any longer."

"Patience young king," Ivan told him. "In a matter of time you will become the ruler of three kingdoms, with a beautiful young queen in your bed, as well as the most powerful army on the entire continent. Just endure it a little bit longer and everything you could want will be at your disposal."

"And what of the Draconan boys?" King Duke asked gazing at the older lord with troublesome eyes.

"Where their loyalty will fall I do not know," Ivan sighed. "But rest assured that even without them, you will still get what you want. Nobody will be able to stop us."

"I certainly hope you're right, Ivan," Duke grumbled.

**A/N: Ah all work and no play makes DeathFromShadows a dull boy. But here it is the latest chapter, sorry for the wait guys. Finally getting through the plot. On a side note, thanks for the 200 reviews you guys! Really, it means a lot to me.  
**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Treason

It was the night before the wedding, and every nobleman from both kingdoms had already arrived at the castle. The townspeople were setting up for the festivities; hanging white and gold streamers from the rooftops, flower carts carrying all types of flowers lined the streets ready to be tossed about. The innkeepers making sure to bring extra ale and wine for the guests, especially for a wedding. A good excuse for men to become drunker than usually were, and to ignore the amount they were paying per pint.

Even children were excited about the potential games and delicious food that was going to be sold come the morrow. The chance to dine on fancy and rare delicatessens was something that they would hardly ever get the chance to experience again. Entertainers were brought in, as were street performers, to keep the crowds of peasants occupied until they were allowed to engorge themselves with food and wine as soon as the couple had been wed.

For now, the town was at rest. The innkeepers making sure to serve the last of their drinks before their patrons went off to their beds until the next morning. Guards took extra care to patrol the streets for any potential thieves and intolerable behavior. Almost every street corner had two guards stationed at them, though many of them brought in from neighboring towns just for the next couple of days to insure that chaos did not erupt on the special occasion.

Though the streets were all but deserted, except for the occasional drunkard or two, and the towns guard, there were three people that met in secret, under a bridge near the river port that resided on the west side of the town in the residential area, so as not to draw suspicion. Under the bridge Erza and Jellal met with Bob, the blacksmith who choose to keep himself hidden under his black cloak. It was already unsightly enough for a man like him to be seen with a noble like Jellal, but he could not risk being discovered by the guards themselves.

"So, is everything in order?" Jellal asked the fat old man. Erza kept watch to make sure they were in the clear.

"Yes," Bob answered, "everything is all set up for tomorrow. When the trumpets blare we will make our move. I already relayed the message to Natsu and the other Dracononan boy."

"And what of the other two Draconan boys?" Jellal asked. "Do they know of the plan as well?  
"Natsu says that he and the other Draconan will free them so everyone can move out together. But you know your part, right boy?" Bob asked furrowing his eyebrows.

"Yes," Jellal said nodding his head. "Erza and I will pretend to be taking the princess and her handmaiden to safety, while Natsu and the others lead the rebellion. I'll take them west towards Nivit, but we'll stop along by the river to insure we rondevu with the others before moving forward."

"Yes, very good," Bob said nodding his head. "Well then, you take care young lord and may the gods continue to watch over you."

"And you as well my friend," Jellal said seriously before turning back to Erza.

When the group split up they went their different ways, Jellal and Erza making their way towards the castle as Bob headed back towards the main gate and his shop. The young noble felt a little nervous tension in the pit of his gut as they walked. Erza could sense it, and when she peered over at her noble friend she could even see the look of concern in the depths of his eyes. She also felt a bit uneasy about the whole thing. She knew that the two of them might manage to make it out even if the plan went wrong, but she just couldn't shake the butterflies either.

Jellal could see her watching him as the two walked down the stone pathway back to the castle. He saw that she tried to appear brave, but just like him her eyes betrayed her feelings. He could see that she was just as jittery about tomorrow as he was. Sighing to himself he took her hand in his, a gesture that startled the red head for a moment, as the two of them came to a stop.

"We're going to be all right," Jellal said offering her a comforting smile.

"I know," Erza sighed looking away. She could feel her face flush a bit, but she simply crossed her arms over her breasts and continued walking forward. "I'm a knight, I'm not afraid of any enemy. If anyone stands in my way, or tries to harm those I'm sworn to protect I will not hesitate to cut them down."

"You're right," Jellal chuckled to himself. He could see Erza was determined, and knowing her stubbornness she probably would be fine. Just knowing that provided the young noble with more comfort. "I'm sure we'll be fine as long as I have you by my side."

"Of course," Erza said with a coy smirk before she continued walking forward into the night.

Meanwhile at the castle Lucy sat by her window looking out into the darkness where the tree line where the lake was. She couldn't sleep, she was far too nervous as well. The pit of her gut burned with the sensation of a wild hornet's nest, while her heart raced at an uncontrollable pace. Her skin almost felt numb as she thought about what was going to happen in the morning. She hoped that they all made it out of this okay, but most importantly she hoped that Natsu would escape unharmed by the ordeal.

Her only placate was the small dim lighted candle that sat next to her by the window in a room caped with darkness. She couldn't sleep that much was obvious. How could she though? Either tomorrow the plan would fail, and she would have to be forced to marry Duke anyways, or if worse came to worse Natsu and the others would all be killed. She had to keep telling herself not to dwell on such awful thoughts. Natsu could take out an entire army, that's what he was trained to do after all, but the 'what ifs' kept flooding her mind.

It was late now, the moon was full standing high in the sky as it shined a bright light on the dark, naked Earth. Stars littered the open blackness of the night with their tiny specks of light. The tension was becoming too much as she stood up and made her way to the closet. She couldn't bear it anymore, she had to see him one last time, just in case it was the last time. It was late, and most guards were busy patrolling the streets, she could make it, she knew she could.

Once she had made her way down into the dungeons she could hear the loud snores of someone echo through the chamber. The foul stench was nauseating as she remembered just how horrible it truly was. She covered her mouth and nose with her hand as she wondered down through the dark corridor, passing a group of sleeping guards on her way down. She slowly crept by them and made her way down until she finally came upon a familiar cell.

Inside Natsu sat, his back leaning up against the wall, his eyes focused on the ground in front of him. The boy in the next cell was fast asleep, snoring to himself as he rested happily on his stomach. Natsu could hear the footsteps of someone approaching as he gazed up to see who it was. He jumped to his feet when he saw that it was a familiar feminine body of Lucy.

"Lucy?" Natsu gasped as he ran to the front of his cell. The blonde ran towards him, the two exchanging a deep, passionate kiss before breaking away. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to see you again," she whimpered, caressing his cheek gently, "just one last time, in case—"

"Sh," Natsu said cutting her off, he could see the tears beginning to form at the base of her eyes. "Nothing bad is going to happen. Tomorrow we'll be free, and you and I will be together, I promise."

"If only these bars weren't in the way," Lucy sighed as she leaned forward, doing her best to rest her head against Natsu's chest.

The boy smiled to himself as he wrapped his arms around her, though it was difficult with the bars in the way. He held her close, the bars making it uncomfortable for the two of them. Of course he could melt them easily, but he couldn't risk alerting any patrolling guards that could potentially walk by. For now, this would have to do, but he smiled happily to himself as he dreamed of the next day when he would be able to hold her fully in his arms again.

For a moment the two of them were happy, standing there together, secluded in their own world. Even Gajeel's snores could ruin the moment they had. Lucy hugged up against the bars as Natsu gently stroked her hair. She felt him kiss the top of her forehead as she looked up and returned it with a kiss on the lips. The two of them breathing into one another, feeling like they were uniting as one at the lips. Lucy feeling slightly reinvigorated as the worry melted away.

"Well now, isn't this precious," the two of them heard a snide remark. Lucy's heart jumped in her heart as she spun around to see King Duke standing behind her with several armed guards.

The young king wore a prison guard's uniform, a helmet tucked under his armpit. She knew right away that he was one of the guards who was pretending to be asleep when she snuck into the dungeon. His lip quivered in rage, as his eyes glared at her and the slave boy. He bit his lip before he stormed towards her, and with his hand slapped her across the cheek as hard as he could.

"Hey!" Natsu roared, his vision magnifying as his eyes morphed into a deep amber. He could feel the pit of his stomach erupt into firry rage, but before he even had a chance to react, he could sense several arrows shooting at him.

Instinctively the boy leapt backwards to avoid the oncoming arrows, but the ploy was nothing more than a trap as he saw Duke grab, and throw Lucy onto the filthy, stone floor as three guards threw open the door. They stormed in with a net, entrapping the boy within, as he struggled to break free. It was made of metal, lined with spikes as he could feel them pulling for it to tighten around his body, his bones feeling like they were about to break as the spikes sank deep and deeper into his flesh. He belched fire as he roared out in pain, causing he metal around his face to melt, but hardly enough to break it.

He was trapped, and he attempted to roll around to break himself free of this treacherous snare, but unfortunately it only caused the spikes to tear apart his skin. He cried in pain, Lucy watching from afar screaming for them to stop. She attempted to rush to his side, only to be pulled back and slapped again by King Duke. He hurtled the girl against the iron bars, causing her to cry out in pain. Natsu struggled some more, he was so desperate to break free but that only made the strands tighter. He didn't care if he had no skin left, he wasn't about to sit by and do nothing as Lucy was hurt before his eyes.

Gajeel woke almost immediately as the commotion started, but he was too distracted by seeing the guards tie up Natsu in a net that he hadn't noticed the several that had rushed into his own cell to retrain him. He didn't fight back, knowing full well the consequences. Instead he let them hold him down to the floor so he could see what was happening.

As soon as Gajeel had spotted King Duke and Lucy from the corner of his eye he knew what had happened. He could feel himself fueled with rage, not just from the sight of Natsu bleeding as he fought the strain on the steel net that incased him, but because of how foolish the two of them were to be caught. Now it seemed like the plan would be completely jeopardized.

"Enough!" King Duke roared. Lucy slid down to her knees, tears pouring from her eyes. She could hardly bear it any longer. "This treason will not be tolerated by your king. Guards, take the princess back to her chambers, where she will await trial in the morning."

"Yes your grace," the last remaining guards answered as the grabbed the sobbing princess and dragged her away.

"As for the slave," he said as he stepped inside the cell and leered over Natsu, "he will be killed effectively immediately." He pressed his foot on the barbs near the boy's chest, wiggling them around as the boy cried out in pain.

"Yes my grace," one guard said as he unsheathed his sword. He stood over Natsu as the boy glared up at Duke. He could see that there was no fear in the boy's eyes as he prepared for the fatal blow to take him.

"Wait!" Duke bellowed as he lifted up his hand. The guard obliged as he stopped himself and took a couple of steps backwards. King Duke leaned down so that his face was closer to the young Draconan's. "Instead take the boy to the tower. Lucy will burn at the stake tomorrow for her crimes. I want you to be there to watch as the flames in case her body, and to hear her screams of pain until she is dead. Only then will I grant you your death."

Natsu scowled, trying to roar fire into the face of the young king, but he could feel the guards leaning on his strands causing him to fall down to the ground in pain instead. King Duke snickered as he kicked Natsu in the chest, the boy yelping in pain as he could feel the warm blood trickle down over the spikes. He panted, enraged Duke kicked him again, this time the boy coughed gasping for air.

Three guards lifted the young Draconan up and led him out of the cell. Duke watched as they dragged him away, his feet sliding against the stone floor, a trail of blood following behind them. Gajeel watched from his own cell, saying nothing, nor doing anything. Once Natsu had disappeared into the darkness the guards that had submitted Gajeel finally moved to let him stand, Duke turning his attention to him now.

"Your Grace," one of the guards interjected as the carried Natsu away, "what about the other two Draconans currently in the tower?"

"Move them down here than," King Duke growled as he motioned for them ton continue taking Natsu away. "It doesn't matter, I'll deal with them when I have the time"

"Of course sire," the guard said as they continued to carry away the pink haired teen.

"Don't think I'm not watching you Draconan," he spat as he watched Gajeel stand back up to his feet. "I have no problem sticking your head on a pike outside of my walls as well. Just give me the opportunity and I will be more than happy to do it."

Gajeel said nothing, he simply made his way over to the far side of the wall and slouched back down. He turned his eyes away from the young king, knowing that the other guards in the cell were watching him closely. He knew that he could kill all of them now, just as easily, but now was not the time to do it. He knew that the plan was obviously foiled, but perhaps there was still something that he could do to salvage it.

The next morning Jude came storming into the dinning hall upon hearing about Duke's arrest of Lucy. The princess was kept locked away in her room with guards standing outside her door, baring anyone from entering or leaving. Even King Jude was not allowed to see her. The older king was infuriated, and demanded to know what exactly was going on.

"Duke, what is the meaning of this?" King Jude demanded as he scowled at the young king. "Why in the name of the gods do you have my daughter locked up in her room like some criminal?"

A crowd of nobles had already assembled around the table as King Duke stood at the front of it. They were busy discussing what had happened the other night, and what they should do about their current predicament. They wondered what they should do about the girl's supposed treason and how they should punish Natsu. The nobles from Konvern were more concerned about the wedding, not wanting to call off the festivities, and pleaded that Duke be merciful and forget all about it, whereas the nobles from Juelle insisted the King dude what he felt necessary.

They were bickering amongst themselves about what to do. Ivan sitting next to Duke, watching as the nobles were at each other's throats, making sure to keep his own mouth shut, until finally everyone went quiet as soon as they saw King Jude walking towards them, an infuriated glare in his eyes. Ivan used his fingers to hide his snickering smirk as he peered away from the king, to make sure he didn't see him.

"Your daughter was caught in the dungeons kissing the slave boy Natsu," King Duke answered. "An act of treason against the crown and punishable by death. I have placed her in her room for the time being until her fate can be decided."

"You dare take such a course of action against my daughter? In my kingdom!" King Jude roared. "And why is it that my own guards refused to allow me to see her?"

"The actions necessary to insure that the law is enforced here an now. As a father you have a conflict of interest in the dilemma, therefore we must see if you will allow law to prevail. If not, than you are not suited to uphold the law," King Duke answered.

"I am not suited to uphold law in my own kingdom?" King Jude barked. The other nobles around the table began to grow afraid. "How dare you! I want my daughter removed from her bedroom at once!"

"I am sorry my Lord," King Duke snapped back. "But you know that the laws on this matter are very clear. As Lord Ivan has clearly pointed out, 'any citizen seen consorting with a slave has committed treason. Lucy was seen in the dungeons with the slave boy Natsu. She is in violation of the law, and as responsible rulers we cannot allow this type of behavior to go unpunished."

"Yes, but this is my kingdom and therefore it is my laws to enforce, not yours. You are not yet lord of this country, so do not begin to start acting like it," King Jude shouted. "Now I will hear no more of this, Arcadios!"

"Yes your Grace," Arcadios said as he approached the table. He was standing in the far corner with the other knights as they watched the nobles bicker amongst themselves.

"Go to Princess Lucy's room, and tell the guards there that she is not to be touched, nor harmed. I will not see my daughter treated in such a monstrous manner without at first hearing what she has done," King Jude said.

"Yes your Grace," Arcadios replied as he began to walk towards the stairway.

"Stop Arcadios," King Duke ordered, but the knight ignored him. "I witnessed this act myself, Lord Jude. I saw her with my own eyes kissing the slave."

"Arcadios your king said stop!" Ivan shouted after the knight. This time Arcadios did stop as he turned to face Ivan with a bewildered look. King Jude was just as stunned by the noble's words as Arcadios was.

"He is not my King, Iwan," Arcadios snapped back.

"Actually, my name is Ivan, Ivan Dreyer, and according to the treaty King Jude signed the other day, with Jean-Luc, he is your king now," Ivan answerd.

"Dreyer?" King Jude gasped as his eyes went wide. Everyone else in the room's eyes went just as wide. "What blasphemy is this?"

"Yes," the nobleman answered pulling the parchment from his pocket and unraveling it, "and like I already said, you agreed to the treaty. It was ratified by your mark. And according to this treaty, if whoever is king is deemed unfit to rule by the council then he is to be removed from his chair."

King Jude stormed over to the noble, ripping the paper from his hands and gazed over it. It was most definitely the one that he had signed and agreed to. He could see his, and Jean-Luc's signatures at the bottom of the treaty. His eyes darting through it to see where exactly it gave them permission to remove him from power, but in his brash anger he could not spot it, until Ivan tapped at a paragraph at the bottom. Sure enough there it was. How could he have been so foolish as to forget about such an important detail.

"Fine, then what does the council say?" Jude demanded as he looked at his nobles.

"I say that you clearly demonstrate that you are unfit to rule," Ivan answered with a coy smirk. "Therefore, according to the treaty that King Jude signed, by law he is to be removed from rule, stripped of his title and step aside to allow the next heir in line to take the throne."

"You do not have that authority!" a nobleman cried, King Jude nodded his head in agreement. "The rest of us will not vote in favor of such treasonous actions! We are loyal to the king."

"Unfortunately, and I quote, 'In the event of treason, all voting privileges will be forfeited to the Hand of the King to be dictated by his judgment.' Therefore, I vote in favor of removing King Jude from the throne so that his heir, a more suitable, ruler to take his place."

"The next in line would be Princess Lucy!" a nobleman yelled from the far end of the table. He was met with a murmur of agreements and cheers from the other Konvern nobles.

"No, King Jude has declared that King Duke will succeed him by this very same treaty," Ivan answered. The room went quiet, the eyes of the nobles fell on King Jude who closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Ivan was right.

"Therefore, Arcadios, as your king I demand that you stay where you are," King Duke yelled. Arcadios hesitated for a second, but regardless he refused to listen to Duke and instead made his way up the stairwell. "Regardless, we can settle this diplomatically, or, I will have no other choice but to call my men into war. The choice is yours King Jude."

The king thought about it long and hard, but ultimately he knew that he would be forced to submit. The clamor of knights from Junelle stepping forward caused everyone to worry. He bowed his head, letting them know that he would abide by their command.

From afar Jean-Luc watched with disdain. He knew that there would be some kind of trouble, but he felt ashamed for not doing more to stop Jude from signing the treaty. He had felt some kind of unease about Ivan and Duke, the sudden alliance that had abruptly formed between the two of them was too quick. Now he could see what has happened, he could never predicted that they would form a coup against Jude. Saddened, he vanished into the dark recess of the hallway, away from it all, waiting for his turn to face the wrath of the traitors.

"And furthermore," King Duke continued, "seeing as King Jude is no longer fit to rule, that he would put his own interests above the law, the very law he, as king, is supposed to uphold. By decree, I King Duke of Konvern and Junelle, thereby command you to exile."

A loud gasp echoed throughout the room, as everyone's eyes went wide. Everyone, including King Jude was shocked by the order. His own personal guards unsheathed their swords as cries of mercy bellowed out from both nobles and guards a like. Though King Duke's own guards unsheathed their swords as well as it appeared that a fight was about to erupt between the two forces. King Jude held up his hand, knowing that this conflict would only result in hostilities that he could not win.

"Very well," King Jude sighed, as he made his way towards the door, everyone watching him as he left. "To think I trusted you, Duke, Ivan. To think that I was about to call you my son and I called the other my friend."

"It is your fault for turning a blind eye to your own daughter's affairs," King Duke retorted. "What kind of king is so a fool that he cold not see a love affair between his daughter and a slave boy? I am simply abiding by the law, your law as much as mine Jude. You cannot blame me for that, and you should not blame me for it. One of us must be the one to assert authority when it is necessary. You think that I would take the hand of a woman who soiled it with the love of some filthy Draconan slave?"

"I would have expected the two of you to have more honor than to trick me into signing a treaty, and then using it to overthrow me," King Jude sighed. His own personal guards, all except for Arcadios who had ran upstairs to the princess's room, followed him out the door. "If you want Konvern you can have it, but please spare my daughter. Spare Lucy of whatever terrible fate you are going to bestow upon her and I promise the two of us will leave quietly and not resist you."

"Princess Lucy will be tried and judged by the law, which as the new King of Konvern I have already decided upon," King Duke snarled. "She has committed the crime of treason and this is not something that I, as a ruler, can overlook. Regardless if she is your daughter or not, whether she is a princess or a Konvern whore."

"Than you are no more fitting to be a king than a wild dog," King Jude cried as he slammed the castle doors behind him.

"If anyone is still loyal to Jude, feel free to join him," he said threateningly before walking over to his own personal guards. None of the nobles made a move, all of them were too afraid, glances of worry were exchanged between them, yet no one would dare attempt to make a stance. Once Duke was in front of his guards, the snapped to attention as he ordered them. "And prepare the stake at the town square, and bring Princess Lucy. If anyone stands in your way, kill them."

"Yes sire," the guards said as they ran up the stairwell. Their metal boots clanging against the stone as they glided up each step.

King Duke followed behind them, walking slowly. He took the opportunity to peer back at the rest of the nobles who continued to remain silent. When he turned back around, smiling to himself as he ascended up the steps. Ivan rushed up by his side, just as equally satisfied with the results. He rolled up the parchment and stuck it into his robe, wanting to make sure nobody could take it away.

"I appreciate all your information and the chance to catch the girl in the act, Lord Ivan," King Duke said. "It gave us the ample opportunity to take control of Konvern, your plan worked perfectly."

"Yes, I can see that it did," Ivan chuckled. "But are you certain that you want to proceed with burning Lucy? It would be ashamed to waste such a pretty young face."

"I would not even permit the bitch upon any of my own peasants. You think I would take the bitch of some slave as my queen?" King Duke growled. "The message will be sent, no one, royal or slave, will cross me. I demand obedience and I will be shown it. Whipping the slave boy was one thing, but this is the betrayal of my own fiancé."

"Of course your Grace," Lord Ivan chuckled. "That is why I find you a more befitting king than that weak fool Jude. In the end, everything will work in our favor, just wait and see."

"And soon, with the joined forces of the three countries and the financial backing of Konver, we will have an army larger than any in Fiore," Duke said as they continued to glide up the steps. "It's only a matter of time before I conquer the entire continent and place it under my rule. I must thank you though Lord Ivan, for if not for you, none of this would be possible."

The young lord said it, but kept his grimace expression. They may have succeeded in overthrowing Jude, but it wasn't enough. Ivan could see the look of hatred in the boy's eyes.

"No thanks necessary your Grace," Lord Ivan said waving it off. "In due time we'll all get what we want out of this. In due time."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Escape

Gajeel stood in his cell, waiting for the ample time of whether or not he was going to break free. He could hear the clamor of metal boots on the stone floor echoing through the dark corridor. He could also hear the sound of men grumbling, followed by the rattle of chains. Gajeel began to grow worried, it was too soon for him to act, and with what happened to Natsu, he wondered if the plan was still going to go through. He was too busy debating amongst himself whether he should just leave now instead of waiting.

He suspected that it had to be guards that were approaching, and he wondered if they were coming for him now. He could feel a firry sensation erupt in the pit of his gut. As his vision magnified he could see that the guards were dragging Rogue and Sting with them, and once they were within distance, one guard rushed up to open the doors to two cells so they could throw the young Draconan men inside. As Gajeel watched them, he could feel the power melt away, knowing that perhaps he should stave off his eagerness for the time being.

Though he saw that once they had thrown the other two in their own individual cells, it didn't end there. They locked them to the back wall by their necks and wrists. He then noticed that as soon as the guards were done with the other two Draconans, they rushed over to his cell, and before he had time to react, they pounced on him and locked him up in a similar manner.

"What is this?" Gajeel barked. "What do you think you're doing to me?"

"King's orders," one of the guards answered. "He doesn't trust you Draconans. He knows that you've been scheming something, and we're here to insure that you don't cause a disruption."

"Is Jude really that paranoid?" Gajeel grumbled to himself.

"Jude is no longer king of Konvern," the guard answered as the entire group made their way out of the cell. "King Duke is now the ruler"

"What?" Gajeel gawked in disbelief.

There was no answer, the other guards just made their way out of the dungeons leaving the three of them behind in the darkness. Gajeel strained against the chains, but they were so tight he could barely move. The chain around his neck was practically suffocating him. The more he shifted, the more it felt like the metal was digging deeper and deeper into his skin. After awhile he was forced to just give up. Perhaps he should have left when he had the chance.

"Don't struggle too much," Sting grumbled from his own cell, "it only makes the whole thing worse."

"So I noticed," Gajeel grumbled. "Should have burned the bastards when I had the chance. So I'm guessing that you two must be Sting and Rogue."

"I'm Sting," the blonde haired boy answered. "And the other is Rogue. I never thought we would finally get the chance to meet you Gajeel."

"So, Natsu told you about me?" Gajeel chuckled.

"A bit," Rogue answered with a shrug, or what best he could do in his current predicament. "But everyone knows about you Gajeel."

"Yeah," Sting snickered, "the Wondering Dragon. You've made quite a name for yourself over the past couple of years. We heard about you back down south, we hoped to meet you one day. Never thought it would be in a place like this. But oh well, seeing how bad our luck has been, I guess we should be thankful to even have the opportunity to meet."

"And yet I have not heard a word about either of you until now," Gajeel mumbled.

"Well, when your being raised to fight for people's entertainment and to make your master money, they tend to not want people to know too much about who you are," Sting answered. "So, no surprise really."

"So what are we going to do about the plan now?" Rogue asked, a bit of frustration in his voice. "What in the name of the gods happened?"

"Well, it seems that the lovely couple couldn't wait for their honeymoon, so now, we're here," Gajeel answered. He could feel the metal chain around his neck strain his throat.

"So what do we do now?" Sting cried, rustling his chains.

"I don't know," Gajeel sighed.

The three of them sat there in the dark for a while. For how long, Gajeel did not know, it was different, he could not keep count of the time since they all sat there in silence. Then he could hear the sound of footsteps coming towards them. He could tell they belonged to small feet, they could just as easily be mistaken for a rodents. He raised his head enough to see a small shadow silhouette outline of a young woman.

"Who's there?" Gajeel growled.

The young woman said nothing as he could hear the sound of the cell door squeak open. Gajeel was a bit shocked to see that the young woman was none other than Levy, Princess Lucy's handmaiden. He was a bit bewildered to see her there, a set of keys dangling in her hand. She wasted no time before she rushed over and knelt down in front of the Draconan teen to unlock his chains. Gajeel stared at her, still puzzled by her presence.

"What are you doing here?" Gajeel asked her.

"Freeing you," Levy answered as she unlocked the chain around his neck, relieving him of the pain, "what does it look like?"

"Why?" he asked as he watched her move up to unlock his wrists.

She rose up to her knees, her body brushing his causing the young teen to blush feverishly, but the girl could not see that. Her satin lavender dress draped over his face getting caught in his piercings and even in his nose. The young Draconan's nostrils filled with her fragrance; a mixture of honey suckle and tulip. It was nice, a fresh relief from the sickening stench he was forced to inhale every day. For just a moment the boy seemed lost in tranquility.

"Finally," Levy said snapping Gajeel back to himself.

A loud crank could be heard as the cuffs flew open causing his hands to fall down, knocking the small handmaiden down on top of him. Levy pulled herself up, brushing her hair out of her face. It was then that her face flushed a bright pink as she realized that her face was only inches away from the Draconan's. Their eyes locked onto their each others, finally the tension was broken as the girl nervously pulled herself off of him.

"Thank you," Gajeel mumbled, his face was a bit flushed as well. "But again why did you free me?"

"Because," Levy said coyly, still a bit flustered, "Duke has locked Natsu in the tower, and now he plans on burning Princess Lucy at the stake! I didn't know who else to turn to," she sighed to herself, tears began to form on the cusps of her eyes. "I know you probably don't care but please, I'm begging you, please save the two of them."

"And what about us?" Sting called out from his cell. The girl nearly jumped in place, she hadn't even noticed the two of them.

Levy was at a loss for words. That was when Gajeel placed a hand on her shoulder, once again startling the girl. He nodded at her, letting her know that she should go and release the two of them as well. She nodded back as she rushed over into the next two cells, Gajeel stretching out his neck as he walked out of his own cell.

Once Sting and Rogue were freed they too made their way out of their cells. They seemed so pleased to finally be out of their chains, the two of them exchanging smirks. Levy made her way to the front of the Draconans, ready to lead them out of the dungeons, feeling a bit nervous, not knowing whether she could trust, but still a bit delighted that they could be helping her. She was about to lead them down the corridor, when a familiar sound of clanging came towards them.

Levy felt her legs go numb as they just froze up underneath her. She was growing a bit worried now, that was until Gajeel pulled her behind him as he stepped up in front of her. She could see the other two Draconans taking a step forward as well. But that wasn't what frightened her the most; it was the sudden change that overtook the teens. She could see the scales form on their skin as claws began to form from their fingernails.

"Stay behind me," Gajeel told her, keep his glare focused on the oncoming guards, "I'll protect you."

"Okay," Levy exhaled as she took a step back.

She watched in dread as Gajeel lunged forward at an oncoming guard, the man swinging his sword at the teen's head. He casually ducked aside, grabbing the man's wrist and throwing him hard against the wall while he grabbed the arm of another oncoming offender and with his free hand struck him down to the ground, and in one motion, kicked him into the oncoming aggressors.

Sting and Rogue were not so interested in a hand-to-hand fight. The two of them took a deep breath, Gajeel's ears twitching as he heard them. He spun around, seeing what they were about to do. Almost instantly he leapt towards Levy, embracing her in his arms as the other two discharged an immense amount of flames from their mouths. Levy screamed as Gajeel was able to jump in front of just in time to shield her.

The flames engulfed the corridor, the sounds of men's cries and squeals blared out. Gajeel pulled Levy in close as the girl let out her own scream, cuffing her ears with her hands to drown out the sounds of the dying men. Tears streamed from her eyes as she could feel the fire brush past her. She buried herself in Gajeel's arms as she waited for all of it to be over.

When it was over, the small handmaiden quivered in the black haired Draconan arms. He held her in close, whispering in her ear to keep her eyes closed. She nodded as she could feel him pulling her forward. She cringed as she could feel her feet crunch on top of ass, and even worse when she could feel herself pass by a motionless body. She tried her best to hold off the stream of tears that were now cascading down her cheeks, but she couldn't. She couldn't bear to look at the smoldering bodies she knew were just below her feet.

"What were you two thinking?" Gajeel growled. "Did you forget about the girl?"

"Big deal," Sting sighed waving it off as he and Sting continued to walk forward. "Why do you care so much?"

"In case you two forgot, she was the one that freed us, so you could at least show a little courtesy," Gajeel snapped.

"Fine," Sting sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "We're sorry. You happy now?"

"Just keep moving," Gajeel grumbled.

He peered down, seeing that Levy still had her eyes closed shut. She dared not open them. She clung to his arm not wanting to lose him, desperate to keep him as close to her as she could. He could see that she was deeply upset, but he didn't know what he should say to her. He bit his lip and pressed forward making sure to guide her around the scorched corpses.

While they made their way out of the dungeons, King Duke already had the stage in the town square prepared. Men brought logs and kindling for a fire on the stage per the young king's orders; all the while Lucy waited in her bedroom. She cried to herself, hugging her knees to her chest, soaking the skirt of her long white sundress. She looked out to the lake, holding the dragon pendant in her hand, wishing that Natsu was there for her. She even missed Levy, her one friend that she could have sought comfort in.

She heard a loud knock on the door and some yelling outside. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but she could feel the inside of her chest knot up. She knew that they were here for her, and it was in that moment she felt like she was truly abandoned.

The door swung open and to her surprise the man that stood before her was Arcadios. She leapt to her feet, about to rush over to him as he stepped inside. Behind him the two guards who were on duty lied motionless on the ground. There was no blood, so she could guess that they were not dead. But he didn't care, she the sight of a friend coming to her aid was all she needed to lift her spirits.

"Arcadios," she cried, as she hugged the knight, sobbing into his armor.

"Come now my Lady," he said stroking her hair, "all will be well. I'm her at the bequest of your father, King Jude. We need to get moving now, there is no time to waste."

"What about Natsu?" she asked, peering up into the tall knight's eyes.

"I am sorry girl, but there is no time for the boy, we must get moving now," Arcadios told her. "Now come, there is no time for us to argue."

"No, there isn't," King Duke said as he stepped into the room. Arcaios spun around unsheathing his sword as he glared at the young lord.

Behind Duke stood a large group of soldiers, not Konvern knights, their banner was that of Junelle. Arcadios glowered at them as he pushed to keep the princess behind him. He watched as Duke's men ran into the room, swords in hand, as the began to form a semi-circle around the two of them. Lucy held onto the tall knight in front of her as her heart began to race rapidly. She was scared, and she hid herself behind Arcadios as she could see Duke glaring at her.

"Lay down your arms Sir Arcadios," one of the knights said. Arcadis figured that this man must have been the head of Duke's guard. "Lay down your arms," he repeated, "and I promise you we will forgive you of this treachery."

"The only treachery here are the men that stand before me planning on hurting a defenseless girl," Arcadios snapped. "What kind of knights are you?"

"The kind that listen to their king," the guard barked.

"Sir Arcadios," King Duke said as he stepped forward, "you dare interfere with the law?"

"You are not the law Duke," Arcadios growled. "Nor are you my lord. I do not acknowledge you as my king, and if you even attempt to lay a hand on Princess Lucy, I will gut you like the pigs you are."

No more words were exchanged as two guards from the sides came running in at Arcadios as he parried the one of the sword, and in one move, spun around and blocked the other. He kicked the first man in the gut backwards and swung his arm up, striking the man in the face, crushing his nose as he fell to the ground. Lucy watched in horror as she took a couple of steps back, making sure that he got out of the way.

A third man came running in swinging his sword down upon Arcadios' head as the knight knocked it away, and swung his sword side ways, slicing through the third guard's gut. The man collapsed to the ground, as three other men came running in. A man leapt in from the right, hurtling down his sword in a similar fashion to the third man's, Arcadios stepped fell to his knees, slashing his sword at the fourth man's ankles cutting him just below the calf. In one fluid motion he carried the momentum back up to his feet blocking the fifth man's on coming strike, but unfortunately he was unable to block the sixth man's oncoming strike.

Yelling out in pain, Arcadios threw the fifth man from him, grabbing the sword of the sixth man. Lucy's eyes went up in shock as she saw the sword embedded into Arcadios' skin, not too deep, but blood began to ooze drastically from the wound. He wretched the sword from his body and used his sword to slash the throat of the sixth man, blood ejecting out from the wound drenching Arcadios' face with the warm, crimson substance.

The first fighters were back on their feet, the first man came in running towards Arcadios as the knight grasped at his wound. With one hand he struck the blow away to the side, raising his elbow up knocking the first man's head upwards, and keeping the motion going he slashed his sword through this man as well. Though while his back was turned one of the other guards came in and hacked Arcadios in the back.

The knight cried in pain, as he fell to his knees, but he did not let that deter him as he swung around and sliced through the guard behind him. The fifth man this time came jumping in, trying to knocked Arcadios down, but the knight rolled throwing this man off of him. He lifted his swords and brought it down upon his attacker before falling to his hands panting heavily.

Lucy rushed up to his side, placing a hand on his back as she peered into his eyes. Her eyes wondered about his wounds seeing him loose a lot of blood, his armor and cape were now soaked in it. He kept his gaze down, taking the princess's hand in his. All the assailants were either dead or no longer capable of moving. Duke sighed to himself as he stared at the two of them.

"Well, now this is disappointing," Duke sighed. Lucy glowered up at him as she stayed by Arcadios' side. As soon as Duke stopped speaking another swarm of guards came rushing into the princess's room, swords drawn as the surrounded the two of them.

"Kill him," Duke ordered. The guards lifted their swords and took a step towards them.

"No!" Lucy shrilled as she stood up.

"Princess, no!" Arcadios cried as he reached out for her. He cringed under the weight of his own pain, his hand falling to the ground before he had the chance to grab her.

"Leave him alone," Lucy demanded as she stood in front of the knight.

"Fine," Duke said, "take the princess to the town square. We'll deal with the knight later."

The guards complied as the grabbed the girl by both arms and took her out of the room. They all rushed out, leaving Duke and Arcadios alone in the room. The king waited for everyone to exit before he took his leave, but before he closed the doors behind him he turned to the knight, "What a shame," he said tauntingly. "You went through so much, only to fail at the end."

Arcadios leered up at him, seething as he bled on the ground. Duke said no more as he shut the door behind him.

Lucy found herself being pulled and dragged down to the stage of the town center, the spot she remembered was the spot where Natsu had been publically. A crowd of town's people had gathered in front of it, watching from the ground, windows and rooftops. They were confused and concerned about what was going on, the murmur of questions arose from them as the watched as the princess was tied up to the stake.

"The princess is a traitor!" King Duke shouted as he stepped on the stage. He peered over at the sobbing blonde. "She was caught in an adulterous act with a slave. As the new ruler of Konvern, as your king, I must allow justice to prevail. And it is therefore that the princess has been tried and found guilty of violating her position as queen, and as a citizen of Konvern. Therefore, as punishment she must be burned at the stake!"

The crowd didn't appear all that pleased with the ruling, and they were not alone. Amongst them Jellal and Erza watched from nearby, cloaked to keep themselves hidden. They had heard about something going on, and even heard that King Jude had been exiled. The young noble was too busy trying to set up for the rebellion that he did not fully understand what was going on.

Erza stared at him with worry, "What are we going to do?" she asked.

"Wait," Jellal said. He turned around, seeing Bob standing behind them, also shrouded in his cloak. He nodded at the pudgy blacksmith, who nodded back as Bob made his way up to the crowd where he met with a group of Draconan slaves standing next to a local tavern.

"Are you and your men ready?" Bob asked them.

"That we are," one of the men, a tall burly dark skinned man with a half burnt face, answered. "We just wait for the signal. We will wait for them to light the flame, then we will attack."

"No," Bob snapped, "we must attack before the flame is lit."

"We will go when we are ready, not a second sooner," the slave snarled.

Bob began to grow worried as he returned to the young noble and Erza, passing on the message to Jellal. Now the noble was incredibly concerned, wondering what they were going to do about Lucy. He could see that Duke had already grabbed a torch and was slowly approaching Lucy, ready to light the kindling. Jellal could see that Erza had already unsheathed her sword and began to run towards the stage.

"Erza!" Jellal called after her, reaching out to grab her, but she was already gone.

Duke smirked at Lucy as she glowered at him. He threw the torch down on the dry wood as the flame erupted around her. The watched in horror as the fire came closer and closer to her. The crowd gasped terrified by the sight of the fire, some of the townspeople began to cry pleading for King Duke to stop, but the young lord would not listen.

"NATSU!" Lucy cried out loud, feeling the heat of the flames around her body.

From the tower room Natsu sat chained up against the wall, chains wrapped around his neck and wrists. He could feel it strain against him. He had been sitting alone, in silence for so long, that he found himself falling asleep. That was until he could hear the young blonde call out his name. His heart stopped in his chest, as he turned his gaze towards the window.

"Lucy?" he gasped, realizing that she was in trouble. "LUCY!" he cried, belching flames from his mouth trying to rip the chains from the wall. He felt desperate unable to help her. Tears gushed from his eyes as he cried out her name, wanting nothing more than to tear off the chains that held him back.

He stopped as he felt like his muscle were tearing, panting as he sat on his knees he strained against the metal chains, but it seemed that it was no good; the chains would not budge, and no matter how much fired he roared he wasn't able to break his chains. He broke down crying, feeling helpless. He couldn't forgive himself for not being able to save her. He wished that it was him out there instead of her, and he would give anything just for the chance to take her place.

Down in the town square the fire was growing rapidly closer and closer to her. She backed up against the wooden stake, turning her head away and closing her eyes. She couldn't bear the sight of it, nor the heat. It was in that moment that she felt like it was almost certain that she was going to die, but now she had no more tears to shed.

Erza was only feet away from the stage, sword drawn and in hand when she came to an abrupt stop. Her eyes went wide as everyone in the crowd gasped as a man with long black hair leapt into the flames just in front of the princess. He slashed the ropes that tied her down before he lifted her onto his shoulder and jumping out of harm's way.

Lucy was equally as stunned as she noticed that the man who had saved her was none other than Gajeel, the bandit that her father had imprisoned. He jumped down behind the stage and set her down. Sting and Rogue passed on by them walking up to Gajeel.

"My Lady are you all right," Levy asked as she placed her hands on the blonde's shoulders.

"Levy?" Lucy gasped still in shock. "Levy," she sobbed as she hugged the girl tightly.

"It's okay you're okay now," Levy said comforting her. The blond continued to cry into her handmaiden's shoulder.

"AFTER THEM!" Duke roared to his guards waving for them to go after the princess.

The guards complied as they rushed at the small group. Just then a loud horn was sounded, causing the guards to stop in place. Even Duke turned around with a bewildered expression, as did everyone else in the crowd. Fright over took everyone as the crowd dispersed into different directions screaming as the slaves charged at the town guards, and even killed some of the guards.

"What is going on?" Duke bellowed as he fled back to the castle. "Why are the slaves suddenly uprising?"

He wasted no time as guards and knights covered him and kept the path clear until they passed the castle gates. Once inside they shut the doors behind them, leaving everyone else outside to fend for themselves. Sting and Rogue took the ample chance to fight some of the Konvern guards themselves, roaring fire and slashing at them with their claws. Gajeel stayed back, sheltering Levy and Lucy behind them as the three of them slowly backed into a corner looking for a safe place to hide during the fight.

The slaves yelled in anger as they fought the guards, most of the town's people had taking refuge in shops and houses while the battle raged in the streets. There were more slaves than there were soldiers, but they did not have the upper hand. Without armor, or even proper swordsmanship, many of them were slain by the better equipped guards. Many didn't even have swords of their own, many of them relied on clubs and whatever blunt objects that they could get their hands on to fight.

Erza unsheathed her own sword as a couple of soldiers ran at her. She lunged at them swinging her sword with as much might as she could muster, knocking one soldier to his back. She then lifted her sword and swung at the other knight, barring it down upon him as he grabbed his own sword with both hands to block it. She took the opportunity to kick him in the groin as he fell to his knees. She then punched him square in the jaw with her fist knocking him out.

The other soldier stood up, recomposing himself as he lifted his sword to her. He raised his blade above his head, but before he could bring it down, a knife came flying past Erza cheek, striking the man in the chest. He let out a wail of pain as he collapsed to the ground, dead.

"Erza," Jellal said as he ran up to her.

"That was my opponent," she said with a disgruntled glare.

"Never mind," Jellal said waving it off. "We have to find Princess Lucy."

"She's over in the corner with the handmaiden and the bandit," Erza told him. When Jellal saw them he rushed over to them, pushing and throwing aside both soldiers and slaves.

"Lucy," Jellal called out as he ran towards the blonde and other.

"Jellal!" Levy called out to him, still holding Lucy in her arms.

"Where's Natsu?" Jellal asked as he ran up to them. He looked around wondering what had happened to the pink haired teen.

"He's locked away up in the tower," Levy told him. =

"Watch these two, I'll go get him," Gajeel told Jellal said as he turned to face the castle.

"No," Jellal told him, "you and Erza take Lucy and Levy and get out of here. I'll get Natsu."

"Jellal no," Erza said grabbing his hand. "You can't risk your life for a slave boy. As you knight and personal guard I won't let you."

"Erza, as your lord I command you to protect the princess," Jellal told her. "This is what you wanted, to serve as a royal guard, and I need you to do this so please stay with Lucy and protect her. They need you more than I do."

"But—" Erza cried.

"But nothing," Jellal cut her off, placing a comforting hand on her cheek. "I'm a noble of King Duke's and he doesn't know what my intentions are. I can slip through undetected and get the boy out without causing too much commotion. Don't worry, we'll meet you guys are the rendevue point, I promise."

"Okay," she sighed grabbing his hand in hers. She knew that there was no point in arguing with him any longer. "You three follow me," she ordered them as she motioned them away from the crowd.

The four of them ran down the street as the battle continued, ducking out of the way careful to stay out of sight as much they could. Jellal turned to make his way back to the castle, but he stopped himself to watch them leave to make sure that they were safe. Erza led the others to a stable with horses, once there she helped Lucy on the horse as she lifted herself up to take the reigns. Gajeel jumped onto a second horse and lifted Levy to sit behind him. As they rode out, Erza took one last look at Jellal, seeing that he was still there watching them.

Their eyes interlocked for a brief moment as Erza sighed to herself, knowing that she had to listen to him. She could hear the clamor of the battle as soldiers and guards were charging towards them. She knew she didn't have another moment to lose as she galloped towards the main gate, leaving Jellal behind.

The young noble was a bit relieved to see them go, but even better now that he could see that they were going to make it out through the gate. He made his way back to the castle, unsheathing his sword. Fortunately, the majority of the battle was taking place in the heart of the town, and the soldiers guarding the front gate of the castle had yet to see of battle. But then again, seeing as how Rogue and Sting were the only ones fighting in the area, he could understand why they were more inclined to guard the gates than interfere.

Natsu heard the sound of the door swinging open, half expecting to see one of Duke's men come in and finish him off as well. But upon seeing that the man that was standing in the doorway was none other than Jellal.

"Jellal?" Natsu said breathing a sigh of relief. "What are you doing here? What about Lucy?! Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Jellal said reassuringly as he ran over to Natsu pulling a set of keys out of one of his coat pockets. "She's in the care of Levy and Erza. I saw them make it out of the town just before I came her."

"Thank the gods," Natsu sighed. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it, but we need to hurry," Jellal told him as he released the boy's hands.

Once Natsu was freed Jellal helped him to his feet. The young Draconan stretched out his neck. Natsu proceeded to run towards the windows to peer outside. There he saw the onslaught of the battle. The tide had turned on the slaves were being overrun by the town's guard. Many of them had already turned and fled from the city leaving those willing to fight, before they too realized that there was no victory to be had.

That was when Natsu saw that Rogue and Sting were in the mists of battle, a trail of blood and bodies in their wake. None of the soldiers dare go near them. The ground behind them littered with corpses, burned and decimated. They had made their way to the gate, where they too vanished beyond the wall, leaving everyone else behind. Natsu shook his head, disappointed by their actions.

"Natsu, we have to find a way out of here without being spotted," Jellal said.

Natsu ran over to one of the other windows, peering down to see that it overlooked the naked field and trees down below. He wondered if they could find a way to climb down, it was outside the castle walls so there would be no guards. He knew that he could probably do it, and he could help carry Jellal if necessary. It would be better than the two of them trying to fight their way through the town center. Especially since it seemed like that battle would be over and they wouldn't have that as a distraction.

"Natsu," Jellal said taking a step closer to the boy. He was beginning to get a little too nervous.

Suddenly Jellal heard a strange noise, something like the tugging of string. When he turned around he saw two archers standing behind him, their strings drawn. Jellal called out the boy's name as he fell to the ground, snapping Natsu back to attention. He could feel the sudden rush of the burning sensation swell up inside him as his senses picked up the oncoming shots. The boy spun around, able to dodge one arrow but not the other, as he was struck in his left shoulder.

The boy cried out in pain as the force of the blow knocked him back, hard enough forcing him to topple out the window. Jellal watched as the boy fell. Natsu seethed in pain as he plunged to the ground below. He fell for more than five stories before he hit the top branches of a evergreen tree that stood below. He crashed through the branches causing them to shatter before he finally hit the ground at the bottom.

"Natsu!" Jellal cried as the archers walked over and picked him up.

"Well, well, well," Jellal heard Duke sneer as the young king entered the tower room. "What do we have here?"

Jellal glowered at him as he struggled against his capture's grip. Duke made his way over to the window, peering down to see the motionless Natsu on the ground below. He chuckled to himself as he walked back over to the young noble and slapped him across the face.

"You betray me?" he spat. "You ungrateful sod! I should kill you now. But since you seem so inclined to take that whore Lucy's place. I guess I can grant it to you. Guards, take him away, and get this filthy son of a whore out of my face. The next time I see it, I want it to be smothered in flames!"

The guards complied as Jellal was dragged down the stairway. "I'm sorry Erza," he sighed to himself. "I'm sorry."

**A/N: I would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has reviewed and followed this story. You guys have no idea how happy you've made me. Seriously, it means a lot. Many of you have followed this from day one, and it is because of you that this story has gotten as far as it has. Some of you have signed in as guests so I never got the chance to properly thank you like I should have, so here and now from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU!**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The Tournament

Several years ago, before the events of current time, in the country of Junelle lived the young, eleven year old lord Jellal. It was a mid-summer's day, when the entire kingdom prepared for the annual tournament of knights. It was to be hosted in the countryside, outside Rosemary Village. The young lord traveled in the company of the young king himself, along with several of the other nobles of the land. However, once they arrived at the outskirts of Rosemary, Jellal broke off from the rest of the company to wander on his own.

He was just a child, and though he was told that he should consider it a great honor and feel distinguished to be in the presence of such high nobility at such a young age, he really didn't. He knew that his father had served as the hand of the king since before he was even born, and now he was expected to succeed his father's footsteps as the hand of the new king Duke. But for now, he was too young to hold such responsibilities sot the duties were left in charge of the council. The young kind did not like it much, but Jellal could do without such titles.

He made his way around the village, taking in the sights. It was a small town, mostly comprised of small wooden houses and cottages. The main street went through the heart of the village, as wooden buildings of shops, taverns and inns lined up on either side of the dirt path. A well was situated at the far end of the road for the villagers to gather water. A large wooden wall lined the outskirts of the town, with a gate that was overseen by two towers with several guards posted just outside the door.

Though the village was small in comparison to some of the main cities he had visited around the country, it was an ideal spot for the tournament. It stood in the heart of the country, on grassy plains that were perfect for farming. Though the village contained the main attraction, the majority of the population lived in villages outside the walls. Jellal had noticed long streaks of wooden fences that contained the area of crops and cattle. The distinctive smell of methane and manure hung in the air. The only benefit of the inside of the village was that one could be away from the farm's natural stench.

The boy wondered down one of the many dirt roads through passing by a few fields of wheat and even wondering horses. He continued to walk down the dirt path, absorbing the scenery. He had always wanted to come out and see the countryside on his own, but he was always too young. He had supposedly visited the countryside at one point with his father when he was younger, but that was too long ago, and he was too young to remember it.

As the young noble continued to marvel the landscape he heard the sound of clanging off in the distance. Curious, the boy followed where they were coming from. The young boy sprinted up the road, and to his joy his suspicions were correct, for when he had passed through a nearby wheat field he came upon two knights fighting in a grassy clearing. The boy knew that it couldn't be a real duel between the knights. Most often men participating in tournaments would go off and practice with one another to prepare themselves for any upcoming matches, and that's what these two knights appeared to be doing.

Though something else caught his eye as he walked up the dirt road. A young girl about his age was sitting on a wooden fence post observing the two knights as well. She was a small girl, with long scarlet red hair and dark eyes. He could tell that she must have been a farm girl, wearing a long, dirty white farm dress. She watched the two knights practice with great admiration. She didn't even pay enough attention to notice the boy approach her.

"They're amazing aren't they," Jellal said startling the young girl. She nearly leapt in place as she gazed peered down at him.

Jellal looked up at her, smiling widely at her trying his best to be friendly. Though he could see that the girl was a bit flustered. He wondered what it could be. She seemed nice enough, but she was just too shy. He didn't think that he gave off the impression that he was someone that would be unfriendly.

"What's wrong?" Jellal asked her, blinking at her. Though his attention was drawn away as he could hear the loud clamor of the two knights continuing to practice.

The girl turned her head away from him, her face still a crimson red as she did her best to avoid eye contact with him. She was definitely a shy girl Jellal could figure out that much as he saw her scooting away from the boy and bring her knees to her chest. Jellal peered back over at her with wandering eyes as he leaned in closer. His gesture only caused the girl to scoot away further from him. He wondered what it was that was driving the girl further from him, he was just trying to be friendly.

"So, do you like watching knights practice?" Jellal asked her. "I know I do. I myself have been training to become a knight one day! I'm not very good, but I'm getting better. I know that soon, with a lot of practice, I'm going to become a really powerful warrior, and I'll compete in this tournament one day." She didn't answer, she just kept her eyes averted from his stare. He began to get a little annoyed, but he still persisted on making friends with this girl. After all, she was one of the few people his own age he had been able to communicate with for a while. "I'm Jellal by the way, Jellal Fernandes," he said extending his hand, "what's your name?"

"I'm Erza," the girl whispered in a hushed tone. She peered down at his hand before turning her gaze away from him clutching her knees tigher.

"Erza?" the boy said skeptically. "Erza what? What's your last name?"

"Just Erza," the girl whispered, Jellal could barely hear her. He pursed his lips as he leaned in closer. His movement startled the girl as her eyes went wide watching him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just trying to be friendly," Jellal answered eyeing her carefully. The girl recoiled under his gaze. "So, what? You don't have a last name?"

"Only nobles have last names," she answered softly shaking her head. "I'm just a farm girl."

She sat there in silence continuing to keep her eyes down. She felt a little embarrassed talking to the young noble, it wasn't like one of them to be friendly towards a girl like her. Jellal continued to stare at her, eyeing her carefully when he decided to lean in and take a handful of her hair. It was supple, and the strands felt as soft as a blanket made of cotton. But the one thing he liked most about her hair, was the strong, deep crimson color about it. Shining like strands of velvet rose, he had to admit the girl was cute.

"What are you doing?" the girl asked as her face lit up to a deep crimson, nervously pulling away from him.

"Just admiring your hair," the boy admitted, confused by her outburst. "I really like it. The deep scarlet color it has."

"Oh, thank you," the girl said softly. The comment only caused her to blush even more. Now her face was the same color as her hair. She bit her lip as she brushed her hair to the side, but mainly she did it to hide her embarrassed face.

"Since you don't have a last name of your own, maybe that's what I'll call you," Jellal told her grinning widely. "Erza Scarlet, like the color of your hair. That way I'll never forget you."

"Oh, okay," the girl answered in disbelief but she said it with a shy smile. She rather liked the name, and it made her feel good to have one. In all actuality it made her feel important. She had never known what it was like to have a last name, and she rather liked the sound of it. Erza Scarlett.

The two of them sat together and continued to watch the two knights practice. Jellal could see that the girl was still a bit shy, but she was coming around. Though neither the two of them spoke, the girl occasionally glancing back at the boy as she saw how excited he was to watch the men practice. She had never met a noble before. She found it odd that one would act so friendly towards her. Often they were mean and ridiculed people like her. But this boy, he was something else entirely.

It went on for about another ten minutes before the two knights stopped. They sheathed their swords and removed their helmets, allowing their long, soaking hair to drape down upon their shoulders. They exchange words of encouragement before they made their way back to the town. They didn't even notice the two children watching them.

Without saying a word the red haired girl leapt down from her seat on the fence.

"Where are you going?" Jellal asked her as he watched her walk away.

"Home," she answered softly before turning around to leave.

"Aren't you going to watch the tournament?" Jellal asked her raising an eyebrow.

"Nah-ah," Erza answered shaking her head. "The tournament only allows rich people to watch, and since I'm just a farm girl, I can't watch it. Though I always wanted to," she sighed sadly.

"Then how about you and I go watch it together?" Jellal said leaping down from his perch. He offered her and extended hand, as he grinned widely. The girl peered at him skeptically, not sure if he was being honest with her, but she couldn't help but feel excited.

After mulling it over for a few seconds, Erza smiled a little as she nodded her head. "Okay," she answered as she took the boy's hand.

The two of them ran down the dirt pathway together. Erza growing more and more excited as she anticipated seeing the tournament up close. Jellal led her back to the town gate where they encountered two guards standing in front. They eyed the two of them suspiciously, seeing the boy in his noble robes, clearly indicating that he was of higher class. What they didn't like seeing was the farm girl that was running up right behind him.

One of the guards began to approach them, Erza felt her heart stop cold in her chest. She knew this was a bad idea, she wondered how she could have ever thought this was going to work. They never let her into the tournament before, and now she was going to get thrown out again. She almost came to a stop, but she felt herself being pulled forward by Jellal, who simply ignored the guards and ran on through.

Erza was stunned as she noticed that the guards didn't even pursue them. She could hear them murmur about the two of them, but they simply waved it off once they noticed Jellal was a noble child. They simply decided it wasn't worth the effort to deal with it. Erza couldn't help but smile as a sensation of relief over took her. She was growing more and more excited now as Jellal led her down the busy street towards the field where the tournament was to be held.

They bumped into some people, but for the most part the boy was able to navigate the two of them by town's folk. Many of them stared at the two of them with bewildered glances, wondering what a farm girl was doing with a noble child. Many of them even recognized that tattoo over lapping his right eye as him to who he really was. Erza even began to wonder why everyone was getting into a uproar about them, which made her more confused, but she didn't care. She was just so excited to see the tournament up close.

They eventually made their way up to an arena where knights in full suits of armor rode on their horses and carried around their lances. The young King Duke sat upon a cushioned chair in the center as he eagerly awaited for the first two horseman to begin the games. He sat impatiently as trumpets blared and squires introduced their lords to the crowd.

Jellal pulled Erza up to the edge of the wooden post near the center of the stage. They caught some eyes as the two of them stood there together side by side. Nobody said anything to them, as the roar of cheers echoed from the surrounding crowd. Some nobles from the king's stage watched stared at the two of them wondering who the red haired girl was that was with the Fernandez boy. Just like everyone else the children had passed on their way to the arena. They were just as confused to see the two of them together as anyone else.

"I can't believe it," Erza said breathlessly, her eyes filling with splendor as she marveled the arena. "Thank you."

"It was no problem," Jellal said grinning at her.

He stared at her, as he could see the wonder in the girl's eyes, a warm sensation filling up in his heart. He didn't know what it was, or why he felt it. But looking at how happy Erza was, just made him feel better; it made him happy. There was something about her, something that he liked. Something drew him to the girl that was uncanny to anything he had ever felt before.

They watched as the two men charged at one another, their lances outstretched. Erza jumped upon the wooden post to get a better view and cheered loudly as soon as the two knights collided. One of the lances shattered, the splinters flying each and every direction as a roar of cheers came from the crowd. The knight who was struck toppled from his horse and land hard to the ground in a loud thud. The triumphant knight raised his lance before returning to the king.

As the sun began to set, trumpets blared out signaling the end of the tournament for the day. Erza sighed as she watched the knights leave for the evening. The crowds began to disperse as people made their way back to the town, and even the nobles began to leave with the king. Jellal and Erza and made their own way down the road from the arena. Jellal escorted Erza to the gate as she made her way back up the dirt path through the fields, Jellal following beside her.

"Thank you for this," Erza said as he cheeks began to flush a slight pink. She combed her hair back in an attempt to hide her embarrassed face.

"Well do you want to come back and watch it tomorrow with me?" Jellal asked with a wide grin. "I really enjoyed today. Most of the time I'm stuck with a bunch of old people. It was nice to be able to do something with someone my own age for once."

"Yeah," Erza said smiling at him. "I would like that."

The next morning Jellal got dressed and rushed out to the fields where he had seen Erza the day before. He eventually found her standing in an open grass field, only this time she was not alone. She was surrounded by a group of other farm children, all of whom sat around her as she told them of the day she had at the tournament and what she had seen. The kids clung onto every word she spoke growing more and more interested.

One was a boy about the same age as Erza and Jellal, with olive colored skin and muddy brown hair. Sitting next to him was a little girl, only about the age of five or so, with similar hair color, but paler skin. Another young boy sat next to them, his hair was blonde, bowl cut, but his skin was as dark as dirt. He had to be a couple years younger than Erza, but he wasn't that much younger. Next to him sat a little girl, with a similar bowl cut hairstyle, but her hair was brunette like the other two. But what stood out about her the most was the cat like eyes she had. Finally, there was another boy with shaggy black hair and a square jaw. He tried to appear too cool to care about what Erza was saying, but he was just as intrigued as any of the others there.

Holding up a stick in a similar manner to a knight Erza cried out, "One day I too will be a knight! And I will bring honor and glory to my family as Sir Erza Scarlett of Rosemary!"

"You can't be a knight," the brown haired boy objected. "You're a girl! And girls can't be knights! It's like, the law or something."

"I can be a knight!" Erza cried in protest. "I can be just as strong as any of the men fighting in the tournament!"

"But Simon is right sister, a girl can't be a knight though," the youngest boy with blonde hair interjected.

"Why can't a girl be a knight big brother?" the youngest girl asked turning to Simon. She had a confused expression on her face, one that was curious.

"Because only men can be knights, Kagura," Simon answered.

"I want to be a knight though," Kagura whined, pouting at her older brother. "By the way what is a knight?"

"They're those metal men that go around riding horses, fight each other, and save damsels," the blonde haired boy answered.

"Good day, Erza," Jellal said as he approached the group.

All the other children in the group gasped as they saw the young noble boy walking towards them. Erza on the other hand spun around with a wide grin on her face. Jellal was happy to see that the girl wasn't so shy anymore, and now it seemed like they were becoming friends. For him, it was a moment of relief, not to be stuck with uptight adults all day. They may show him respect because of his namesake, but he knew that most of them looked down at him for being so young.

"Hello Jellal," the red haired girl answered. "What are you doing here?"

"I came looking for you," he answered with a wide grin. "I thought we were going to go watch the tournament today?"

"I didn't think you'd actually want to go again," the red haired girl answered, a slight blush radiating in her cheeks. "But I'm glad you're here." She wasted no time as she grabbed Jellal's hand and pulled him in front of the group. Most of the children were still stunned, all except the youngest, Kagura, who was just puzzled by this new boy.

"Big brother, who is that boy?" Kagura asked Simon.

"I don't know," Simon said as he scowling at Jellal as he watch the boy get a little too friendly with Erza, "but he looks like a noble boy."

"What's a noble?" she asked.

"Someone who comes from a distinguished family, generally rich snobs," Simon told her.

"Big sister," the blonde haired boy said interjecting as he stepped up behind Erza. Both Erza and Jellal looked down at him as the boy hid slightly behind Erza, eyeing Jellal a bit suspiciously, "who is this man?"

"This is Jellal," she said introducing the young boy, "he's a new friend I met yesterday. He's the one that I went to go watch the tournament with yesterday."

"Speaking of which," Jellal said leaning down so he was face to face with the younger lad, "how would all of you like to go with us to the tournament today?"

All the children squealed in delight as they jumped to their feet. The young boy's face lit up as he began to grow jittery with excitement. Erza had to lay a hand on him to stop him from tugging at her farm dress. They all huddled around Erza and Jellal, the red head unable to control her own wide smirk. She giggled happily as the younger children nearly pounced on the blue haired boy.

"Can we go big brother?" Kagura pleaded as she grabbed Simon's sleeve. "Can we? Please?"

"All right," the boy sighed, as he too reluctantly stood up to his feet.

"Yay!" the little girl cheered as she ran over to join the others. Jellal motioned for the others to follow him, as he walked towards the arena with Erza by his side.

"Excuse me, Mr. Jellal," the young girl with short brunette hair began to ask, "we were wondering, can a girl be a knight?"

"Well," the boy pondered it over for a moment as they all walked down the dirt pathway, "in order for someone to become a knight, they must be knighted. I've never met, or seen a girl get knighted, but I guess it's possible. As long as they pass the examines to become one, or do something worthy receiving it. So I guess there's no rule that says a girl can't be a knight."

"I'm going to become a knight one day," Erza said distinctively. "I'm going to grow up big and strong, and when I do, I'll become one of the greatest knights in the entire kingdom."

Jellal burst out into laughter. "You have to earn on spot on the King's own personal guard if you want to become one of the best knights in the entire kingdom," Jellal chuckled. "And _you_ wouldn't be able to do it anyway," he said teasingly. "You're not strong enough."

"Oh yeah," Erza hissed as she ran forward and grabbed a couple of stick she found lying near the side of the road and threw one over to Jellal. The boy caught it, staring at her with puzzled eyes. "I challenge you," Erza said, as did her best to take a battle ready stance.

Jellal laughed to himself as he waved the stick in the air, before stepping in front of her. The other children encircled the two of them, all of them cheering for Erza. Jellal stepped to the side twirling his stick in front of him as Erza eyed him with a serious glare. She then stepped in and swung her stick at him, to which Jellal simply stepped to the side and then swatted her in her hindquarters.

Erza yelped as she grabbed her rear end, her face flushed with embarrassment as she scolded the laughing boy. The other children giggled amongst themselves as they could see how flustered their big sister was acting. She bit her lip and in a fit of rage she swung her stick at Jellal again. The boy knocked her stick away causing the girl to stumble forward. It wasn't until Jellal tapped her on the back with the blunt of his own weapon that the girl fell flat on her face.

The other children began to giggle amongst themselves, as Erza sat up and rub a tear from her eye. She felt humiliated, but she wouldn't allow herself to go out in such a fashion. She was going to become a knight, and that meant she would have to defeat immature boys like Jellal if she was ever going to achieve her dream. She stood up, lashing her stick and back and forth. Jellal fell backwards trying his best to parry the on coming lashes.

Soon Erza swatted the Jellal's stick so hard that both of their wooden weapons flew out of their hands. Jellal watched as his stick went flying, but Erza did not waste a moment. She pounced on the unsuspecting boy, taking him to the ground before she pinned his wrists into the dirt. The boy looked at her stunned as Erza smiled with a satisfied grin.

"Looks like I win," she mocked, sitting upright.

"Yeah," Jellal giggled, "looks like it."

Erza picked herself up, brushing the dirt from her gown. She leaned over and offered Jellal a hand to help him back to his feet. The boy took her hand in his and once he was back up to his own two feet, he dusted the dirt from his clothes. The other children laughed as they celebrated Erza's victory. The girl rather enjoyed herself standing with pride. Jellal simply laughed it off before he motioned for them to follow him to the arena.

When they came to the gate a guard stood in their way glaring sinisterly at all of them. A tall man that looked threatening, but it was the lack of teeth in his mouth that caused the kids to grow a little more worried in his presence. The younger children coward behind Simon as he stood upright, thinking that of course they weren't going to be allowed into the town to watch the tournament. He could feel his little sister tugging on his shirt as he pulled her in close.

"Hey, you're that noble kid from yesterday aren't ya? The one that came in with that little peasant trash," he said leering at Jellal before his vision fell onto Erza. "Yeah that one right there. Now you want to bring in a bunch of other rabble to the town? They ain't stray dogs you know."

"I am Jellal Fernandes, son of Faust Fernandes, Hand of the King. You will permit me and my friends to pass," Jellal demanded.

"As I recall, daddy's dead, and you ain't no Hand of the King just yet," the guard retorted poking at the boy's chest.

"Hey, leave the boy be and just let 'em pass already," another guard groaned from the other side of the gate. "It ain't worth no trouble trying to cause a ruckus with a noble. Even if 'e is a boy."

"All right, all right," the first guard said frowning. "I guess you can pass little master, but don't think that means we won't be keeping an eye on you."

"Thank you," Jellal sneered at him as he continued to walk forward. "Come on guys."

The guard eyed the boy threateningly as he watched Jellal and the others run pass the gate. Jellal didn't pay any mind to the man as he led the kids to the spot of the arena, being careful not to lose them in the crowd. He reached back, grasping Erza by the hand, causing the girl to once again blush from embarrassment. At first she was a bit shocked until she realized what Jellal's real intent was. She followed his lead and grabbed the younger brunette's hand as the kids made sure that they were tied together.

Finally they came to the arena, Jellal dragging them to the front where he and Erza had stood the day before. This time he drew the attention of most of the surrounding people as they saw the group of young children watching the tournament. The children themselves were more than excited to watch the event as the climbed on top of the wooden fence watching as the knights prepared themselves.

The younger kids looked around in awe as they took in the splendor of the tournament. Jellal on the other hand stood back letting the younger ones take the front row. Though he got the eerie sensation that someone was watching him. When he looked around he could see a man standing near the king; a tall, dark skin man with long black hair and black beard. He had a snide smirk on his lips as he peered down at the group of children. Jellal fell a cold sensation rush through his spine as he turned away.

Though when he looked away he noticed something else. He saw that he had Erza's hand still clasped in his. He blushed to himself, but it appeared that the girl hadn't even noticed it. His first instinct was to break the contact immediately, but he found himself unable to do so. Instead he decided that he would just let it be for now.

He watched her from the corner of his eye, seeing that the girl was just as excited for today as she was the day before. She had a wide smirk, as the two knights rode in on their horses, and right in front of them they collided. An eruption of applause could be heard from the crowd, and Jellal took the opportunity to peer back at the man that was watching him before. Only now, the man had vanished. Jellal shook his head deciding to ignore it for the time being. For now, he just wanted to enjoy the moment with his new friends.

**A/N: Wow, sorry this took so long guys. Work got in the way, now with family in town. Tried to get as much done as I could before they came to visit, but only got about half way. So, again sorry for making you all wait so long, I'll try to be faster in the future.**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Roles Reversed

Natsu groaned as he lied their motionless in the soft grass. His body throbbing, every muscle in him ached. He was unable to move apart from slowly opening his eyelids to the blinding light of the sun. He moaned a bit more as he closed them again. He could feel the cool touch of a breeze as wind blew by him, causing his body to tense up even more. The sound of leaves rustling in the trees and grass swaying were the only things he could hear.

He tried to take a moment to recompose himself, but he had no idea where he was, or what was going on. He wondered why his body hurt so much, and what he was doing outside, lying on the grass. He couldn't remember a thing about what had happened before he was lying there. He began to think that he was outside the lake where he and Lucy would often meet. But it just didn't feel right, and he didn't know of anyway he could have possibly hurt his body this much.

Not only did his body simply ache, there was a sharp, shooting pain that radiated from his shoulder. He could feel the warm stream of blood that oozed from the wound. It stung, and though he was unable to move any part of his body, it felt as though his entire side was numb. He groaned, feeling as though something were lodged in there, but he couldn't even move enough to pull the contraption out.

It was after a few moments that his memory started to come back. He remembered Lucy visiting him in the dungeons, the two of them exchanged a kiss, but then Duke arrived and took him to the tower. He struggled to figure out the rest, his head was throbbing to no end, as a mass amount of pressure seemed to be hammering away inside his skull. He then started to remember that he was in the tower, but that was all. Now he began to think that somehow he made it from the tower out to the grass.

Slowly the tension in his body began to melt away. It was strange, but he was starting to feel better, and as the pain left, his memory became that much more clear. Then his mind was flooded with the images of Jellal coming forward of Jellal meeting him in the tower, and then the man who shot him with an arrow causing him to topple from the tower window.

It all came back to him as he felt himself grow more enraged. Soon the burning sensation he had felt in his but before began to stir. As it did, the pain in his body just evaporated allowing the teen to move his arm just enough to pull out the arrow that was lodged in his shoulder. He breathed a sigh of relief as though he had yanked out the thorn that had kept his body subdued for so long.

He staggered forward as he picked himself up off the ground. His vision graying out on him, but then it cleared up almost instantly. He could feel the burning course through his veins, as the blood from his wound had stopped. He noticed that scales began to form on his skin, but it appeared that they had been there for quite awhile. He took a deep breath looking up to the tower window realizing that it was the scales that had saved him during his fall.

"Lucy," he exhaled in a deep breath as he began to sprint away from the wall and into the forest. He stopped himself as he soon realized that Jellal had not made it out of the tower when Duke had attacked them.

He peered back at the castle taking a deep breath he knew what had to be done. Without wasting another moment he ran back out of the woods and to the castle. "Wait for me Lucy," he said as he turned back around, "I will find you, I promise."

Meanwhile, outside of the castle's walls, Gajeel, Lucy, Levy and Erza continued to gallop west through the forest, careful to avoid the road in order to insure that they went unnoticed. Levy held onto Gajeel while Lucy held onto Erza, the horses in full sprint while the girls struggled to keep a grip on their riders. They galloped as fast as their horses could carry them, but at the same time making sure that they didn't collide with the trees or foliage.

Eventually they made their way into a clearing, still in full gallop, until eventually they came upon a river and forced to stop. The river itself appeared to be too wide and from the rushing rapids, it was clear that it was probably too deep to cross. Erza peered up and down the river looking for any possible bridge, or passage they could possibly cross at. From the looks of it, there wasn't, at least not near by.

Gajeel peered back behind them, he let his eyes magnify with his dragon vision to insure that they were not being followed. Though he could not see, nor sense any people pursuing them it wasn't enough to convince him that they were in the clear. They may have escaped the castle ground and the city, but he knew that it was only a matter of time before Duke sent a party to look for them. Right now all he knew was that there best chance was to get to Nivit, only there would the be safe for the moment. That and he could finally be on his way.

"What should we do?" Gajeel asked turning to Erza as his horse whined and became unsettled.

"There should be a bridge further up north," Erza said as she eyed the waters again. "But I don't know if it would safe to cross up there. We'll be too exposed."

"As opposed to what?" Gajeel sighed. "Swimming? There's no way to cross the river, at least not here. If we ride up to the bridge, we should be able to cross there."

"Yes, but do you know of another way around?" Erza asked. "Something that would be more secure and keep us hidden. I don't trust taking the road route. As a bandit I would think you would know the wild outskirts of this country well."

"There is no other route that I know of," Gajeel grumbled. "Just because I was a bandit doesn't mean I know of every secret passage and road. Our best chance is to just cross the bridge. Trust me, I doubt there is nobody there that would stop us. And if there are, I'm sure we can handle it."

"I don't know," Erza said looking back at Lucy, "I cannot put the princess in any danger. It's bad enough that I have to trust a bandit to help me safeguard her."

"I don't need to be here wench," Gajeel growled. "I could have run away with the Sting and Rogue when I had the chance, but I opted to stay."

"Erza please," Levy whimpered, "Gajeel has done more than enough to prove that we can trust him. Can you not be so hard on him?"

"Erza, Natsu trusts him, and if Natsu does, than so do I. Even Jellal trusted him enough to send him with us and as you're lord you need to trust his judgment," Lucy said. "That and I know you're more than capable of handling him if he does turn on us," she whispered in the red head's ear.

"We should head north, if Jellal and Natsu are to meet us at Nivit, that will most likely be the path they travel down," Gajeel stated as he turned his horse in that direction. He scowled at Erza; Levy growing a bit unwary as she could see the distasteful expression on his face.

"Very well," Erza sighed giving in. "We will take the path up north, but we will only cross when we know that it is safe."

"All right," Gajeel growled as they continued to gallop along the riverbed.

After a few more hours they finally arrived at the base of the bridge. The tree line surrounded it on both sides, making it difficult for Erza to spot any potential travelers that could possibly cross it from the other end; though it also helped provide them cover as she watched. Gajeel pestered for them to just cross now, that they were in the clear, but Erza just had an eerie feeling that she couldn't shake. She didn't want to cross just yet. there was just a suspicious sensation in the pit of her gut.

The bridge itself was rather large, constructed of stone blocks. It had to have stretched for over thirty meters. For Erza, that was just too long a distance for them to travel out in the open. The edges of the bridge only stood up to knee height of the horses, so if they were attacked there would be no shelter for them to take. That and the water underneath ran at such high speeds they would have nowhere to go if they got stuck on it.

"Let's just go," Gajeel whined. "There's no one around, and the longer we wait, the more time we waste and risk having someone stumble upon us when we do decide to cross."

Erza glared back at him, but she knew he was right. She devised a plan, one that could insure that it was safe for them to pass.

"Why don't you go first?" Erza suggested. "Leave Levy and behind and walk across to insure that it is safe."

"Why me?" Gajeel snarled.

"Are you a man or aren't you?" Erza snipped.

"Fine," Gajeel grumbled as he jumped down from his horse and walked towards the bridge.

He peered back, grumbling to himself as he reluctantly walked onto the bridge and made his way down a significant way before stopping. He turned back to them with an unsatisfied glare.

"So far so good," Erza whispered as she watched.

"You should be kinder to Gajeel, Miss Erza," Levy said softly. Erza peered back at her with a bewildered, yet somewhat annoyed glare while Lucy stared at her with a somewhat confused expression.

Erza just shook her head and looked back over to Gajeel. She saw him standing near the center looking around. He turned to face them with a sour expression on his lips. Erza breathed a sigh of relief as her stomach began to unwind a bit.

"See," he shouted, "there's nothing—"

He was immediately cut off as an arrow came hurtling from behind the trees, striking him in the back. Gajeel let out a howl of pain, falling to his knees as Erza unsheathed her sword, as she heard the cries of men rushing towards her. Levy let out a loud shrill as Lucy looked around frantically. They were surrounded, and for Gajeel it did not appear to bode much better as a swarm of bandits rushed in from the other side of the bridge.

Gajeel stood up in a fit of rage, roaring fire from his mouth as he did so. He turned back around to face his assailants, six in all. He staggered forward, the arrow in his back radiated a sharp pain throughout his body. He could see the men coming in closer and then he leaned forward and belched out of furry of flames, consuming the attackers. The men let out shrills of terror and pain as they jumped from the bridge into the frigid rapids below.

Erza held out her sword, pushing Lucy and Levy behind her so that she could better shield them. Though it seemed pointless as there was no escape for them. One accoster came running at her, lashing his sword downwards. She stepped aside, letting the swing of the sword carry forward before she lunged her own weapon into the man's abdominal. He burst out yelling before falling forward, lying motionless on the ground.

Another man charged in from behind her, Lucy seeing him as he was just about to swing his sword. Lucy stepped up, grabbing the man's wrists before she spun around, hurtling the man over her shoulder to the ground. She wrenched the sword free, just in time to deflect another oncoming blow from another assailant. After she parried the on coming strike, she swung at the man's legs, slicing a large gash on his calf, causing the man to buckle under and fall to the ground.

Erza fought off two more men, blocking each of their swords with her own. She knocked the first man's sword, stepping forward to head butt him in the nose. She grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and threw him into the second man, knocking them both over. She held up her sword as four more men stood in front of her with their own weapons extended. She eyed them carefully, watching their every move.

Levy took a couple of steps back making sure to stay out of the way. That was until a man came up and grabbed her from behind, his forearm wrapped around her neck. She tried to scream, but the man pulled her in tightly preventing her from doing so. She gritted her teeth, as she could feel her vision starting to gray. She refused to give in. She stomped on the man's foot, causing him to lose his grip as he let out a loud yelp. She then spun around and kneed the man in the groin.

Lucy picked up one of the swords and held it in front of her, to keep the assailants at bay. Her heart racing like mad as she could feel her own legs quiver underneath her. The men chuckled as they smirked at her, their gaping decaying teeth hanging out of their yellow gums. She cringed under the gaze of their piercing gray, ragged eyes. Their skin as greasy and leathery as their shredding strands of hay they call hair.

Lucy backed up as she saw them take a step forward towards her. The men she had knocked down had picked themselves up as well. She kept walking back until she bumped up against someone. She jumped as she spun around, as did the person she bumped into. The girl nearly had a panic attack as she spun around to see that it was Erza. Her hands jittered in her hands as she nearly dropped the sword, the red head with the same panicky expression in her eyes.

The two of them stared at one another for too long as they were both tackled from behind. Their swords were knocked away from their hands, as they struggled to break free. A man held down each of their hands while another dug his knee into their backs keeping them pinned on the ground. They could feel the men taking out rope so as to bound their hands together. Levy herself was grabbed by two men on either side, as she was forced to the ground, lying on her face as she could feel her wrists being tied behind her back.

Meanwhile, Gajeel teetered back to the other side where he could see over a dozen men had now captured the girls. The searing pain in his back made it hard to move, and even more difficult to keep his focus. If he could pull it out, he knew that he could regain himself. But for now, as long as that arrow was stuck in him, he wouldn't be able to move about as well as he could.

He seethed as he noticed two more men break away from the rest of the attackers and come rushing towards him. He breathed a large roar of fire once again causing the men to fall down in freight at the sight of it. They stared at him, as Gajeel began to run at them, the pain throbbing with each and every step, but he did not let that hold him back.

As he remained focused on the two men in front of them, he did not notice that there was another man who had already pulled out a bow and arrow aiming it at him. As Gajeel continued to sprint forward, the man let loose his arrow as he struck Gajeel beneath his left rib cage causing the teen to fall to his knees and collapse to the ground.

"Damn it," he growled. He could feel the burning sensation in the pit of his stomach like he normally did, but with the arrows in his body he just couldn't bring forth his full power.

He fought to stand back up to his feet, as he faced the man who had shot at him. He rushed towards him in a fit of rage, unable to control his emotions. He could see the man panic as he attempted to draw another arrow. Before he had the chance to lift it into the air, Gajeel pounced on him, able to turn his fingers into claws just long enough to slash open the man's throat.

Blood spewed forth, drenching Gajeel's face in the man's warm blood. But he did not have a moment to regain himself before three men jumped on top of him, forcing him down into the dirt. He fought them off, the front arrow snapping under their weight, but he could feel them driving it further into his body. He yelled in pain as he managed to throw one of the men off of him as he got back up to his knees. But as soon as he did so, a large club struck him across the face knocking him to the ground unconscious.

Jellal found himself being forced down to the stage in the town square. Though nobody really paid any attention to what was going on after the slave uprising earlier. Most of the town's people were busy repairing the damage done to their shops and homes, that they hadn't even noticed the noble being thrown up in chains onto the stage.

The town was in disarray; half the shops were ransacked and broken into, bodies still filled the streets as workers did their best to pull the corpses to the side, most carts had been overturned and many of the people were just outright crying after enduring it all. Many of the town's guards were busy helping to clean up the mess, or kept watch over what slaves they managed to capture in the battle, or those that had escaped, but been brought back.

King Duke stepped up onto the stage, looking out at the carnage that had been caused. He knew that this was a poor reflection on his newly appointed position as king. He wondered how he was going to continue to keep order in the city; he could only imagine the outrage he was going to hear from the people the next day. With so few slaves left, there was almost nothing people could do to completely fix all the destruction that had happened in the city.

In the meantime, he would deal with the traitor, Jellal. The young noble sat on his knees, his hands bound by chains as two guards kept their spears pointed at his neck. The young king approached him, filled with anger and embarrassment by what had happened. He stepped up in front of Jellal and slapped him across the face once more, seething. He was more livid by the betrayal of a dear friend, one that he had hoped would serve as his right hand.

"Why Jellal?" Duke sneered. "Why would betray me? I am your king!"

"I did what was necessary," Jellal spat back at Duke. He glared back into the young king's eyes.

"Necessary?" Duke snorted. "Necessary! I am your king, I was your friend, there is no excuse for the treason you committed against me. And for what? A dead slave, a whore of a princess who's only going to be caught by men in a matter of time? That is, if she isn't raped or killed by bandits first. All you did was forfeit your own life for nothing Jellal, nothing."

"You know nothing," Jellal growled. "I thought you at one time you worthy of being called a king, but clearly you're nothing more than a power hungry fool. One who would stoop so low as to betray his own friend, and supposed father-in-law."

Duke slapped Jellal one last time before motioning to one of the knights, a man from his own personal guard, to come over and deliver the sentence. The knight nodded as he unsheathed his sword and stepped up behind Jellal. He peered back over to Duke before getting the nod to continue on. The guard raised his sword into the air, ready to strike it down upon Jellal's neck. Jellal just sat there, firm, as he awaited the final blow.

Just then a Natsu leapt down from high on the castle walls, landing on top of the knight that was supposed to finish Jellal. Everyone was stunned, including Jellal as he stared back with wide eyes. Without a second to waste, Natsu used his claws the slash open Jellal's chains, freeing the young noble.

"Get them!" Duke roared.

What soldiers he had left, no more than half a dozen or so, unsheathed their weapons and encircled the two of them.

"Any plans?" Jellal asked as he eyed their surrounding enemies.

"Yeah," Natsu answered. "Just give me a moment."

The young Draconan teen took a step forward, and as he leaned forward he let out a wave of flames at the enemies nearby. The men were startled, but none more so than Duke, who took the opportunity to run.

"Archers!" Duke cried.

The sound of the commotion startled the town's people as they began to grow even more worried. Most of them returned inside, so as to avoid any further conflict. A few men with bows came running towards the king, noticing Natsu and Jellal on top of the stage.

One of the knights rushed in at Natsu, swinging his slashing his sword at the boy's gut. Natsu could feel his dragon senses taking over him, as his vision began to magnify and his body encased in a warm, burning sensation. He ducked under the sword, using his claws to slice through the knight's armor, slitting the soft flesh underneath. The man toppled over dead from the impact, as Natsu sensed another knight coming in from his left.

This time Natsu caught the sword by the handle as he drove his claws through this knight's armor and into his sternum. He yanked it free as he used it to spin around, catching another oncoming sword. He threw it to the side, grabbing the man by the neck, and with one twist, snapped the windpipe. By now the other knights were afraid, but one had enough courage to try and tackled Jellal. The young noble grabbed his arm and threw the knight over his shoulder and off the stage.

"Come on," Natsu ordered as he ran over, grabbing Jellal by the waste and leaping towards the wall.

The archers were in place now, letting their arrows fly at the two of them as Natsu scaled the wall. He could sense each arrow coming, as he jumped side to side, and upwards to avoid the shots. Jellal winced as he bounced on the boy's shoulder, his gut landing hard on the bone. Finally, they arrived at the top of the wall Natsu looking on either side, noticing that the guards were rushing towards the two of them in a full on sprint.

"Hold on," Natsu said to Jellal as he ran towards the opposite edge.

"What are you—" Jellal cried as he realized the Dracnoan's plan. "No!"

Natsu leapt from the high walls, out towards the trees. The guards came to a grinding halt as they watched him. Jellal screaming as the two of them went gliding down. Natsu reached his free hand out for one of the tallest trees as he drew closer, and closer to it. He sank his claws into the bark, sliding down the trunk, spinning around it until he landed hard on a firm tree branch. Though the velocity of his momentum caused the branch to snap underneath him as the two began to plummet to the bottom.

Natsu did his best to land on the larger branches as they continued to fall. Each one snapping under him until finally the two of them landed hard on the ground. Natsu felt a shooting pain radiate from his feet, but it soon vanished under his natural power. Once he was stabilized he put Jellal back down on his own feet, grinning widely at the now pale, and traumatized noble.

"Don't," Jellal stuttered in a shaky voice, "don't ever do that again."

"No promises," Natsu chuckled. He was actually rather impressed with himself. "Now come on, we have to find Lucy and the others."

"Well than that means we're going to have to head out west," Jellal said as he peered back up to the castle wall. The guards stood there staring down at them both bewildered and frustrated. "But first we should make sure that we lose any potential pursuers. They're more than likely to send the dogs after us. So, it's best if we go find some horses then."

"Well I don't know where we can get horses," Natsu said. "But I think that we should head out west anyways."

"Not if we want to lead them on our trail and put the others at risk," Jellal answered moving forward into the wood. "Come, we'll go south for the time being, there is a stream just a little ways off. There we can lose our scent, and hopefully find horses and head to Nivit."

"What about Lucy and the others?" Natsu asked as he followed him. "We can't just leave them alone."

"They should be fine as long as they reach Nivit," Jellal told him. "They'll be safe there, the ruler is a kind and noble man. He will watch over and protect Lucy and the others until we get there."

"How do we know Duke won't go after them now?" Natsu asked worried.

"Because he's too busy having to deal with rebuilding Konvern after the uprising, and he's probably more concerned about finding us over them. So, as long as we continue to draw his attention away, they'll be safe."

"I hope you're right," Natsu sighed. He couldn't help but have a bad feeling in the pit of his gut.

The two of them continued to sprint through the forest, Natsu following the young noble as he led the way. He didn't like the idea of the two of them taking another way, he wanted to do nothing except head west, to be with Lucy again. He hoped that they would not be delayed for long. But he knew that he should trust Jellal, it would be terrible if all he did was lead Duke and his men to Lucy and the others. For now, he knew he would just have to be patient.

Back in Konvern King Duke was in an anguish of humiliation and rage. He stood in the king's hall yelling at the other nobles, and those that served as council to his court. Among them, Ivan sat at the right hand, and though he looked displeased, he was more annoyed by the young king's rabid howling than he was upset about the rebellion.

"WHAT IN THE HELL HAPPENED OUT THERE?!" Duke roared over them, pacing back and forth in front of the table. The other nobles recoiled and cowered away. None of them, apart from Ivan, was even willing to look at their king. "First the slaves rebel, we lose the majority of our work force, then the princess escapes, humiliating my rule, and now we can't even handle a simple slave? What is wrong with this country?"

"None of us could have foreseen the slave rebellion, your Grace" Ivan told him. "Right now is not the time to worry about slaves, that is a task that is easily fixed. What our main concern is the loss of the Draconan beasts and the fifth one that is rumored to live in Nivit."

"I care not for the Draconans!" Duke yelled waving it off. "All except that son of a bitch Natsu. I will have his head on a pike, along with that whore of a princess, Lucy."

"And you will have it, your Grace," Ivan told him. "But we most focus on the tangibles and what is really important. Right now the city is in disarray, and the people are starting to ask questions. Bring your armies here, to Konvern, show that you are still a man of power that deserves to be respected."

"You are right, Ivan," Duke answered. "Someone send a pigeon to Junelle. Tell them to send me my own council and all the military we can afford to spare to Konvern. I will insure that there is order in my kingdom, and I will no longer tolerate the apathetic behavior that seems to plague this wretched country. I will burn down every acre if that's what it takes."

"Very good, your Grace," Ivan said nodding his head. He turned to a young girl that was sitting next to him. She had long, flaming red hair and pale skin. Her eyes yellow like the petals of a sunflower, but with an eerie grayness about them that made it almost inhuman. "You heard the king, go now."

"I will find the slave Natsu," Duke seethed, "and when I do I will kill him." He took a deep breath as he sagged down in his own chair at the head of the table. "Now get out, all of you. I need to be alone for a minute."

The nobles complied as they all stood up to leave, even Ivan. As they left Ivan turned back to see Duke sitting there, rubbing his forehead in agitation as the young king contemplated what he was going to do. Ivan could see the frustration in his eyes, and secretly smirked to himself. As he walked out the chambers, Ivan was greeted by two other men: Nullpudding and Kurohebi.

"What news, my master?" Kurohebi asked him as they continued to walk down the castle hallway.

"The boy has escaped unharmed, as I predicted," Ivan told him. "The plan is coming together. Soon Duke's armies will arrive here, and we will have the largest army in all of Fiore at our fingertips."

"And what of the Draconan?" Kurohebi asked. "What of Nasu?"

"His part in our little game has only just begun," Ivan said smirking. "Soon, he will have what he wants, and so will we."

**A/N: On a side note check out the galleries of kristallin-f & zizus15 on deviantart. I think they have some things you guys will enjoy.**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Heading South

As the sun began to set; Lucy, Levy and Erza found themselves fastened tightly to a large tree in the middle of the forest. Their captures were busy rummaging through the packs they found on the horses, though they seemed rather agitated when they could find none. Gajeel meanwhile was tied up in chains at another large tree nearby the women, still unconscious. The attackers removed the arrows from his body, but they did nothing to bandage the wound. His jaw looked shattered as blood trickled down from his lips.

Levy looked at him with worry, hoping that the young Draconan would be all right. Erza on the other hand watched the men closely, there were about a dozen or so more. She did her best to keep her composure but she knew that the other two girls were concerned. She did not know what type of men these were, but she already knew that there wasn't something right about them.

"You find anything?" one of the men asked as the group watched two of their fellow bandits look through another empty bag.

"Nothin'" the bandit sneered as he threw the bag onto the ground. "It seems like the bitches ain't got nothin' of value ons 'em."

Two of the men broke away from the rest of the group. One of them walked over to Gajeel, while the other made his way over to the girls. Lucy turned her sight away; not wanting to look at this man. Levy did the same. Erza eyed him carefully, sliding her feet up so her knees were close to her chest. If the man tried anything, she should at least be able to kick him.

Once he was in front of them, the bandit knelt down so he was eye level with Erza. He had a sly smirk, on him, and unlike the other bandits he appeared more docile. He was tall, and broad. He was not that young, just out of his prime as his long, greasy strands of muddy hair dangled off his cranium. His skin, a light chestnut color, similar to the torn up rags he wore as clothing.

"Well, you ladies don't seem to have anything of value, at least, not on the horses," he said eyeing Lucy's neck. The blonde could sense him staring at her as she recoiled and looked away. She shut her eyes, wishing that she could wake from this terrible nightmare.

He reached over to her neck. "Leave her alone!" Erza snarled, glowering at him. He snickered as he plucked the pennant from her neck.

"No! Don't!" Lucy cried, but the man did not listen.

"What's this then?" he said eyeing the small metal dragon carefully. "A fancy little dragon pennant? Doesn't look that important." He gazed back down at Lucy, seeing the dishearten shimmer in her eyes. "But apparently it is, at least to you. It's not much, but it should fetch a penny or two."

"Give it back please," Lucy begged. "It was a gift from a friend, a friend I may never see again. It holds no monetary value to you, so please just give it back."

"Sorry, but it's mine now," the man snickered. The girl, growing ever more devastated. He looked at her one more time, curious he grabbed her hair.

"What— what are you doing?" she gasped as she recoiled under his grip.

The man lifted up her hair and began to sniff it. "Your hair smells like honey and some other fine fragrance," he said as he eyed it skeptically. "You must come from nobility eh?" he laughed. He then turned to face Erza and did the same with her hair and then Levy. "Well, it seems like we have three women of nobility with us. Now that is something special."

"Hey," the other man said kicking Gajeel's feet, "wake up already."

Gajeel stirred slightly in his spot, shaking his head. He could feel a heated sensation over take him as the blood stopped leaking from the open gashes from the arrows and his jaw. He shook his head as he finally came too.

"Well, if it isn't Gajeel Redfox," the man snickered. "I heard rumors that you were captured by Konvern Guard. What are you doing out in this neck of the wood? And with those three women, if I might add?"

Gajeel groaned, wincing in pain as he as he felt an immense amount of pain radiate from his arrow wounds. He shook his head clearing his vision to see the bandit standing over him. A man with long red hair, almond shaped eyes and pale flaky skin. He was a gangly man, his front two upper teeth were missing, leaving a wide gap between the other molars.

"So, it was you that attacked me, eh?" Gajeel sneered. "Well I appreciate the warm welcome, but if you would please, untie this ropes and let me go."

"Sorry mate, can't do that," the man answered, kneeling down so that he was eye level with Gajeel. "You see, you killed six of my men, and that red head bitch over there killed another. So, how I see it, you have a debt that needs to be paid. I can't just up and let you leave now can I?"

"You really are a bastard aren't you?" Gajeel growled.

"Speaking of which, you never answered my last question," the man snickered. "What are you doing with those three women over there? From what I hear, they appear to be of noble origins. Now, how can it be that a piece of shit bandit like you got involved with the matters of upper class ladies?"

"Well, after my entire gang was killed by Konvern knights, and I was captured. I decided to take up a job as a personal as bodyguard, slash escort. Since, you know, I have certain traits some people would deem, admirable."

"Oh, Gajeel, you really are a piece of work," the man laughed. "But you know, I never had a noble woman before," he said snidely, a creepy smirk crossing his lips, "I wonder what they taste like."

The girls cringed as they heard his words. Levy shuttered at the sight of his stare, while Lucy and Erza felt an overwhelming nausea overcome their stomachs. The blonde was so sickened she almost found herself tearing up at the thought of that man touching her. It didn't help that the other man snickered, licking his chops as his eyes wondered around their bodies.

"You won't lay a single hand on any of them," Gajeel snarled.

"Oh, really?" the man said raising an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

Gajeel thought about his next choice of words carefully, knowing that he couldn't say anything that would jeopardize the girls. "Because," he started to say as he bit his lip until he finally came up with an excuse. "Because they're virgins."

Each of the girl's faces lit up a bright scarlet red as they heard Gajeel speak. Erza's eyes going wide as she glowered at the Draconan teen. Lucy could feel her own face flushing so more than she had ever thought possible. She wished she could just disappear from it all. Upon hearing Gajeel speak, the other bandits burst into a fit of laughter.

"And how is that a bad thing?" the man asked through his fit of laughter. "I always like me a nice young virgin. That just makes it all the better. That means that they're untainted, and fresh." He licked his chops as he stared at the girl's with hungry eyes.

"But you would be a fool to violate them," Gajeel said quickly. The man turned to him with a quizzical glance. "Think about it? You're a slaver, and obviously you're going to sell them at the nearest market when you get the chance. Probably down south right?"

"Yeah," the man said nodding his head. He was listening to Gajeel with the utmost intent, though he didn't seem all that compelled by what the boy was suggesting.

"Selling them as high, up class girls, you'll make a small fortune," Gajeel continued. "But sell them as high, up class _virgins_? You could retire a rich man after just selling one, imagine selling three. You and I both know how the men of the south are, and they are willing to pay incredibly high prices for pretty girls. But they generally don't like to mingle with girls that have been tainted by bandits. How man other women's services could you buy with the money you'll make? Why throw it all away for just one night of pleasure?"

"Oh, to hell with that bastard Draconan!" one of the other men shouted. "I ain't have a good fuck in a while. And I had me eyes on the blonde ever since caught them. How do we know they're even virgins anyways? He could be telling us a lie to save the girls from being harmed?"

Lucy found herself shrinking in the ropes, her face as red as a blood. 'Why does he have his eyes on me?' she thought to herself. 'I know I'm pretty, but I don't want a man like that interested in me.'

"And what if he's telling us the truth?" the red haired man snarled. "We'd be a bunch o' fools to throw away good money we would make selling these cunts."

"We'd still make a good profit from selling them, even if they ain't virgins," the man retorted. "They be of noble blood right? A man would still pay a pretty good amount just to have one of those in his bed."

"Yeah, but we'd make three times as much if they were!" the red haired man bellowed. "And I ain't bout to lose a small fortune cause you feel like you need to wet your whistle! If you got a hankering, take it behind a bush, otherwise, shut your trap or I'll cut your tongue from your mouth. There ain't going to be no more discussion on the matter, I've already decided. Yomazu, Kawazu, get over here right now, I have a job for you two."

Two men stepped forward, one with long brown hair and poultry like facial appearance. He had a crooked, yet long beak like nose and gaping dark eyes. The other man was a little more on the heavy side, with short raven hair, but a square jaw and goatee. He wore a helmet with rams horns painted on the side. The two of them were the only ones that seemed to be wearing armor out of all the bandits in the group.

"Yeah?" the chicken man asked.

"The two of you, take Gajeel down south to the coliseum," the red headed man ordered. "Use his own horses to travel with, but be careful. He's a monster as you saw when he burned those fools alive, so avoid his mouth and keep him tied up at all times. Don't break his bindings for nothing, and don't ride on the same horse as him, otherwise he could very well kill you too. When you've done sold him to the coliseum, head a bit further south and we'll meet you in Mila."

"Yes sir," Kawazu answered as the two of them walked over to untie Gajeel from the tree.

"Why? You aren't going to deliver me to the coliseum yourself?" Gajeel said tauntingly as he stood up, though his arms still tightly bound to his sides. He began to think about burning the red headed man, but decided against it. He couldn't put the girl's at risk.

"I have to keep an eye out for our other profits," he said motioning to the girls. "Two should be enough to keep you at bay, as long as they have you bound. You ain't the one that's going to bring me in a bunch of coin or gold, Redfox. Them ladies are far more valuable than your worthless ass, but I suppose the coliseum would still pay a hefty price for a Draconan beast."

"Yeah, but I guess you feel safer to just get rid of me, eh?" Gajeel snickered.

A couple of other bandits brought over the horses as Yomazu and Kawazu lifted him up. They tied Gajeel's horse onto theirs' before they began to ride into the forest. Erza, Levy and Lucy watching them as they left. A bit of panic began to arise in Lucy's heart as she wondered what was going to happen to them, now that Gajeel was gone.

"What are we going to do now?" Lucy whispered over to Erza. The red head could hear the sound of worry in the princess's voice.

"Don't worry," the red head told her. "We'll be fine."

She wanted to comfort her and let the two of them know that they were going to be all right. Though she didn't know how true that really was. She was growing ever more concerned about what they were going to do. She had to admit, Gajeel was someone who could help her protect the other two. But now, she didn't know what she was going to do.

"Are you sure?" Levy said, a hint of freight was audible in her voice as well, as was the look of terror in her eyes. She couldn't help but quake in her seat.

"I'm sure," Erza told her with a reassuring smile. Though she knew that it was just a lie.

Later that night the bandits built a fire and started cooking some simmering meat as they all sat around the flame ready to eat. Before they dined most of them took the time to drink, becoming madly drunk. They laughed amongst themselves as they told stories of other jobs they had done, people they had robbed, and women they had spent the night with. Though it made the girl's sick to hear, it seemed like most of them were content on talking about the nights of passion they had.

Lucy found her face growing a bit pink as she could hear the men laughing, describing each and every riveting detail. She squirmed as she heard about one man's particular visit to the shores of the far west. She couldn't believe that women would degrade themselves into doing some of the things these men claimed they did. She couldn't believe that they would honestly use their mouths, and tongues in such a vile manner, in such a vile part of the body. The mere thought of it was revolting, but then she wondered if Natsu would like to try some of those things.

She shook her head like mad as she perished the thought. Her face growing ever more read, feeling embarrassed about her thoughts. Natsu wouldn't want to try and do anything that disgusting. Would he? No of course not, he wasn't like that, he didn't have such perverted desires. Or did he?

Erza could sense the distraught in Lucy as she asked her what was wrong. The blonde shook her head, smiling awkwardly telling the red head that it was nothing. She felt a little ashamed of herself, but then the image of her and Natsu doing those things flashed in her mind again as she desperately tried to shake them out.

One of the men stood up and walked towards them in a drunken stupor, staggering forward as he leered at them with hungry eyes. He licked his lips as Erza flinched under his glare.

"He says I ain't supposed to touch you," he man slurred as he fell forward, taking another chug of alcohol from his jug. He slouched in front of Erza, eyeing her with a seductive glare. "I like your hair, it reminds me of a this ruby I was stole off a man. Slit his throat, ear to ear," he said drunkenly. He held the jug up to her face, the stench of the strong liquor within was too much for her. "Why don't you take a sip there dearie? It will relax ya."

"No," Erza said shaking her head as she tore her lips away from the top of the bottle.

"Come now, don't be like that," the man chuckled. "It will make you calmer, I promise. And it will make this all a lot easier."

"She said she doesn't want it," Levy snapped, but she recoiled under the weight of her own words as she looked away.

"What'd you say to me?" the man growled as he stumbled over to her. Levy kept her eyes down, doing her best to avoid him. "I asked you what you said to me cunt?" he said growling even more angrily than before. "What? Do you want to be fucked instead, cause I can make that happen? You're a bit small for my taste, ain't got any tits on ya, but I think I can deal with that. It's all pink on the inside."

He leaned in closer to Levy, she recoiled under the stench of his foul breath. She closed her eyes, leaning her head as far away as she could, but her bonds made it impossible. She was growing sick, feeling the man's rancid breath huff heavily against her naked neck. It made her shutter to think that the scoundrel was this close to her.

"Leave her alone!" Erza yelled as she wiggled her leg free enough to kick the man in the side, sending his sideways into the dirt.

"You bitch!" he cried as he tottered back up to his feet. He fumbled around for the sword he had sheathed on his hip. "I'm going to gut you for that!"

He finally managed to unsheathe his sword, though it fell from his hand. He was too drunk to even hold his own weapon. But as he picked it back up he glowered over at Erza who sat lifting her leg up, ready to repel him when she needed to. Before the man could even raise his sword he let a blood-curling howl of pain before falling forward into the ground, revealing that he had been shot in the back with an arrow.

"What's going on!?" the red headed man from earlier cried as he stood up to see his dead comrade.

Before any of the bandits had a chance to react when the woods filled with the sound of hoof beats, as soldiers on horseback came riding into the camp. A barrage of arrows rained in from all directions as half the bandits fell to the ground dead, while the survivors were still trying to get over their shock. One man in bluish armor came ridding in swinging his sword down, decapitating the red headed bandit as he rode by. Another man in white armor came in from the other side, cutting down two bandits with him as he rode by.

The bandits attempted to fight back, but only a few of them were still on their feet, a couple of them trying to hold up weapons to repel the on coming assault. The knight in blue armor ran down one of the bandits, knocking away his opponent's weapon a he slashed open the bandit's chest. The other knight swung his own sword down, slicing down two of the last remaining bandits before a last few arrows came in to finish the rest.

After about a minute, the battle was done as all the bandits laid dead in the dirt, their blood soaking the dirt beneath them. The two men on horseback continued to ride around checking for survivors, yet it seemed that none of them remained. Once it was clear several archers lurked out of the darkness and entered into the fire's light. They wore bluish cloaks, the hoods of which veiled the their faces in the cover of darkness.

Lucy began to grow a bit more frightened as she wondered who these new soldiers were. From the looks of it, they were wearing armor and uniforms. That was a good sign, meaning that they were certainly not bandits like the other men, but still. She wondered if they could be from an enemy country. She knew that were certainly other dangerous men that wondered the world other than bandits and thieves.

The blue knight approached the three of them, Lucy felt her heart racing as she saw him coming closer. Once he was a couple of meters away, he jumped down from his horse and removed his helmet. He had short, shaggy raven hair and dark eyes. He was young, just around Lucy and Natsu's age. He had a serious grimace on his face, but he appeared friendly enough. He wasted no time as he walked over, and with his sword he cut the rope freeing the girls.

'Thank you," Erza said as she stood up and stretched out her back. She felt relieved to be free of her bonds.

"Yes, thank you," Lucy said as she too stretched out her own back.

"No problem," the young man said as he sheathed his sword. "You're lucky we found you when we did. We've been tracking this particular group of bandits for nearly a month, now it's good to have caught up to them. Are all of you okay? They didn't hurt you did they?"

"No, we're all fine," Lucy answered. "By the way, what is your name, and if you don't mind, could you tell us who do you serve?"

"My name is Gray Fullibuster of Magnolia," the young man answered. "And over there is my brother, Lyon. I serve in Magnolia under Makarov, but my brother serves in Lamia. Don't worry, we have no intent to harm any of you, we're just here on a job."

His words brought comfort to Lucy, as she breathed a sigh of relief. She felt safe now under their care. Erza on the other hand made her way to the camp with the others while Levy ran over and embraced Lucy in a tight hug. The two of them exchanged happy grins before they followed Gray back to the others.

Once at the camp, Erza went rummaging around until she found what she was looking for. Her sword and breastplate lay near the fire with some other stolen materials.

"Excuse me," Lyon said as he walked over to her. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Taking my things," she said a she threw the breastplate on. "I hope that isn't a problem?" she said sternly.

"Very well," Lyon sighed as he walked back over to Gray. "Brother, who are these women?"

"I don't know," he said turning back to face Lucy and Levy, "who are you anyways?"

"My name is—" Lucy hesitated, not wanting to give up her real name. She maybe safer with this company, but she still didn't know just how much she could trust them. It was probably better to keep her identity a secret. "My name is Lucy, daughter of a nobleman back in Nivit. My friend here is Levy, she too is the daughter of a nobleman back in Nivit."

"Really?" Jellal said skeptically as he eyed the two of them carefully. "Okay."

"Hold on a moment," Lyon said as he stepped forward, he leaned in so he could expect them better. The faint light of the fire was not enough for him to get a clear look at their faces. "You say you are from Nivit?"

"Yes sir," Lucy said nodding her head. She began to grow a little anxious.

"I thought the people from Nivit had darker skin, and hair. You and your friend both have to pale a skin."

"We were not originally from there sir," Lucy said hastily. "We moved there when we were children. There was better investments for our fathers in Nivit."

"And what did your father do?" Lyon asked folding his arms across his chest. He eyed her seriously. The girl could see in his eyes that he knew she was lying.

"They were bankers sir," Lucy answered softly, avoiding his gaze.

"Bankers?" Lyon burst into a fit of laughter. "Well it's no wonder the bandits wanted your heads! I say, bankers? Those are the real criminals," he continued to laugh as he walked away. "Oh, well. Fetch these girls some food and water, they must be hungry after their ordeal. And hurry up and burn the bodies, we can't linger in these woods any longer. The smell of dead flesh should attract the wolves."

"Don't mind him," Gray said as he offered the two of them a friendly grin, "he's not that bad of a guy once you get to know him. But don't get to know him too well, otherwise he'll drive you insane. I swear, one of these days I'm going to stick a knife in him. Now come on, let's get you girls some food, you must be famished."

Natsu and Jellal ran as fast as their feet could carry them further and further into the woods. Dark was coming, and before long they wouldn't be able to see, so they had to make sure that they crossed the stream before then. They could hear the sounds of dogs barking off in the distance, but Natsu could tell their pursuers were getting closer. Suddenly they came upon a cliff, below was the stream that Jellal had mentioned earlier, only it wasn't a stream, it was rushing river.

"Shit," Jellal swore under his breath. "What should we do now?"

"Jump," Natsu said as he grabbed Jellal by the arm and pulled him forward.

"What? Natsu, no, no, no" Jellal yelled, but it didn't help. He and Natsu plunged from the top of the cliff down to the rapids below.

The two of them fell hard into the water, Jellal's feet missing the bottom by only a few inches before they two of them resurfaced. Natsu struggled to stay above water as his arms waved frantically in the air. Jellal ducked under the surface, latching onto the pink haired Draconan before he swam the two of them to the opposite bank. Once there he collapsed, breathing heavily along with Natsu, but he didn't waste any time getting back to his feet.

"Why do you insist on making us jump from tall heights?" Jellal gasped angrily. "I think you might want to actually get yourself killed.

"Don't you nobles ever have any fun?" Natsu chuckled through his wheezing.

"And what was that?" Jellal said as he helped pick Natsu up off the ground. "Can't you swim?"

"No," Natsu said raising an eyebrow at him, "what makes you think that? I grew up a slave, it's not like they had a recreational pool for us."

"Then why the hell did you force us to jump off a cliff into a river?" Jellal cried in disbelief. "Don't you ever think?"

"Nope," Natsu answered shaking his head.

"Of course," Jellal sighed rubbing his temples. "Come on, that should have caused the dogs to lose our scent, but we have to keep heading south. We'll hit Mila in a couple of days if we hurry."

"What's in Mila?" Natsu asked as he followed Jellal further into the forest.

"Horses, weapons, and safety," Jellal told him. "Mila isn't exactly friendly with Konvern, or most of Fiore in general. We should be safe there, and it will give us a chance to grab some supplies and horses for the trip to Mila."

"How long will the journey from Mila to Nivit be exactly?" Natsu asked as he continued to run.

"Several days, maybe two weeks," Jellal told him. "Though that depends on the amount of time we spend traveling."

Natsu didn't like that answer. He hated that he would have to wait two weeks to see Lucy again. He prayed to the gods that she would be kept safe, and that she would be protected while she was there. He knew that Jellal told him that Erza was more than capable, and from what he had seen from the woman, he had a strong feeling that the young man was right. Though the more he focused on it, the more he felt his legs moving faster as his speed quickened. He went into a full on sprint, as he passed Jellal, and hurtled himself further into the wood.

"Natsu!" Jellal called after him. The boy stopped as he heard his name, realizing that he was completely lost in his own thoughts.

"Sorry," the young teen said as he came sliding to a stop. The sun had already begun to set as Jellal came to a stop. "I guess I kind of fazed out for a second."

"Don't worry about it," Jellal said as he lurched over huffing for some air. He didn't realize just how tired he really was. "It's getting dark, we should find a place to camp for the night."

Natsu walked over to a tree, breaking off a branch right before he used his breath to ignite the leaves, creating a torch. "Here take this," he said handing the branch over to Jellal before breaking off another branch for himself. "We can use these to guide us through the night for now."

The two of them used the light to help guide them through the darkening wood. Eventually they came upon a small clearing full of tall grass. "We'll rest here for the night," Jellal said as he laid down.

The two of them lied down in the grass near each other, closing their eyes. Natsu felt his eyes growing heavy, it just hit him that he was incredibly tired. It didn't take long for sleep to take him. Jellal on the other hand struggled to get comfortable. He was far too used to a warm bed with sheets and blankets. But for now he knew that he couldn't be too choosy. He lay there restless, until eventually sleep over took him as well.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

A Long Road to Travel

Natsu found himself in front of the lake, the one that he and Lucy used to visit so often when they were children. He stood there, overlooking the water as the small waves rustled against the grassy shores. The sun was shining ever so brightly through the leaves of the trees, letting him soak in each and every ray. There were no other sounds except the soft muddle of the water's surface. At last he was in tranquility, alone in peace with the world. No worries, no troubles, nothing out to hurt him.

"Natsu," he heard a soft feminine voice say his name from behind him.

He already knew exactly who the voice belonged to as he turned around to see Lucy standing behind him. She wore a white laced dress that frolicked in the wind. Her honey blonde hair danced in unison with the breeze, half covering her glistening subtle skin. She brushed her hair back with her small hand, as she smiled such a radiant smile that it half melted the boy's heart. The angle of his life was standing in front of him. Oh, how he missed her.

She glided across the grass; her bare feet nestled against the green blades. Once she was near him she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his lips gently. He could feel his heart race as he felt himself melting into her. He had missed the taste, the feeling and her warm body pressed up against his. He hugged her tightly, never wanting to let her go again, though he could feel her pulling away from him.

He grinned widely at her, his eyes locked in with her deep russet color ones. Like the sweetest chocolate a man could eat. He could feel his heart ache, literally a stifling pain burst in the cavity of his chest as he stared deeper into her eyes. For a moment he was lost before he pulled her in again for another kiss.

"Natsu," the girl whispered as she broke away once more. It felt as though his legs had liquefied beneath him. "Take me," she said as she pulled him down on top of her, his body pressed up against hers. The soft touch of her bosom against his chest, and the gentle touch of her skin made the boy quiver in place.

As the two of them lay there kissing passionately in the grass, he saw Lucy lower her head, eying him with a seductive glare. It was in that moment he found her guiding his hand to her leg slowly lifting up the bottom half of her dress. His hand brushed against the warm soft touch of her milky skin as it slowly made it's way up her long leg. It came closer and closer to her thigh, but she didn't stop him. She continued to guide his hand all the up until finally, it was on her stomach. He wanted to look down, but his eyes were locked in on hers', unable to look elsewhere.

"Oh, Natsu," she breathed heavily as she brought him in for a deeper, more passionate kiss.

Jellal could feel a stir as his eyes began to open a bit. He was still lying there in the grass, but he could feel something pressed up against his back. He could hear snoring, but he was still a bit too dazed to realize what was going on. Though there was something else bothering him, there seemed to be something poking him in his lower back. He wondered what it was, but he soon saw Natsu's hand falling over his shoulder. His eyes went wide as he realized what it was that was poking him in the back, as he jolted up and fell forward.

"Natsu? Natsu!" Jellal yelled out loud he was still a bit shocked. "What in the names of the gods are you doing?" He leapt to his feet as he stumbled until he fell back to the ground.

"Huh?" Natsu asked as he shuttered awake. "I was having the most wonderful dream," he sighed happily, "let me go back to it." He slowly lay his head back down in the cozy grass, letting his eyelids drape over his eyes as he fell back to slumber.

"Yeah, I could tell," Jellal sighed annoyed. "But it's morning and we should get going. The more daylight we have, the more ground we can cover."

"Lucy," Natsu sighed in delight, "You want me to put my mouth where? I didn't know you were into that kind of stuff."

"In the name of the gods," Jellal moaned, kicking Natsu awake. "Hey, come on get up already. It's best if we start moving now, while it's still early."

Natsu groaned as he was finally stirred awake. He glowered at Jellal disapprovingly, and though he was reluctant, but he finally stood up to his feet. Jellal sighed as he began to walk further south, Natsu dragging behind him. The boy still wasn't fully awake, but he trudged on anyways.

Meanwhile Lucy, Erza and Levy rode with the soldiers that had rescued them from the bandits. The girls were given horses while the men walked on foot; Lucy and Levy riding on the same horse. Gray and Lyon held the reigns of the steeds as to help guide the girls, but in actuality, it was so they didn't run away from them. Lucy wondered where Gray and the others were taking them, as she noticed the rode they traveled on headed northwest. But that was not the direction she and the others needed to go, they had to go directly west if they hoped to arrive in Nivit.

She ponder the possibility of asking Gray and Lyon where they were leading them, but she was a bit reluctant to do so. They may have saved them, but she did not know of these men, or if they were being truly honest with her. She had heard that soldiers from Magnolia were good men; honorable, strong and valiant. They were men that were often known for their generosity and well mannered behavior. She had never met one before, but having some idea of the company she was with brought her to ease, as long as they were who they said they were.

"Excuse me," Lucy asked, as she finally worked up enough courage to ask the dark haired knight. "Where are we heading?"

"To Magnolia," Gray said, offering the blonde a friendly smile. "You'll be safe there."

He continued to lead the horse up front of the rest of the company, while Lyon held onto the reigns of the horse Erza was riding. The rest of the company followed behind, most of the men discussing their kills, some of them had even taken loot off the dead bandits. It wasn't anything much, just something they could pocket and travel lightly with. Though the bandits didn't have that much for the soldiers to take to begin with.

"But we need to head to Nivit. Magnolia is a several week journey from there, depending on whether we travel by rode or horse," Lucy argued. "Would you mind dropping us off on your way?"

"No can do, Miss Lucy," Lyon answered. "Nivit is a few days ride out of our way, and we need to make it back to Magnolia soon. So, sorry but we continue our ride northwest."

"Then can you at least let us ride out on our own to Nivit?" Lucy asked them out of concern.

"No can do, Miss Lucy," Lyon told her shaking his head. "It's too dangerous to go out on your own, as you now know. I don't know what three defenseless young ladies, such as yourselves, are doing wondering around in dangerous woods like these? But I can honestly say that we cannot in conscious allow a princess to travel on her own without a proper escort."

"I—" she fidgeted as she heard him speak, stuttering to find the right way to answer him, but she found herself getting too nervous. "I'm not a princess." She finally blurted out laughing awkwardly.

She was not alone, both Erza and Lecy exchanged glances of worry wondering if their cover had been blown. Levy felt her heart drop in her chest, but she became puzzled as both Gray and Lyon just continued to stroll forward nonchalantly. Erza could feel her heart skip a beat as well, thinking that she might just have to do something drastic. She wondered what exactly she should do if it ever came to her having to fight off all these men. From the looks of it, she knew she couldn't win, not against a dozen archers. Though she understood her role as a knight, if the moment called for it, she would have to lay down her life to protect the princess's.

"Please," Lyon scoffed. "You think us fools? That we don't know about Princess Lucy Heartfilia when we see her? It's pretty hard to miss; young teen girl with long blonde hair, eyes as dark as tree bark, wearing fine clothes that reek of perfume. You're just fortunate that those bandits did not know of your true identity, though they were probably too stupid to realize it. Otherwise, you might have been in far more trouble back there. So, sorry to tell you this princess, but you're going to be stuck with us for awhile."

"We had just received the news about the slave uprising back in your home the other day," Gray interjected. "You're lucky we found you when we did. Right now, these woods aren't just full of bandits and thieves, but more likely a bunch or riled up, pissed off slaves that would love to take the chance to have a go of the daughter of the man that enslaved them. So, for now we'll protect you until we get you back to Magnolia."

"She had protection," Erza jeered a she grasped the handle of her sword.

"Oh, yeah you were doing such a bang up job now weren't you?" Lyon said tauntingly.

Erza scowled at him, gripping her sword tighter as she was about to unsheathe it. Gray waved his hand to her, and shook his head nonchalantly though he didn't mind her actions. It seemed like he wasn't too much against the idea of her becoming a little 'aggressive', but rather, he was telling her it wasn't worth the effort. Erza stared at him for a few moments before finally sighing in defeat as she loosened her grip on the blade.

"My Lady," Levy whispered into Lucy's ear, "what are we going to do about Nivit? We can't go with them to Magnolia; Natsu and Jellal are supposed to meet us there. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," Lucy whispered back. "We should discuss it with Erza when we get the chance."

Though admittedly she didn't know when that was, or if the opportunity would ever arise. She could feel the small handmaiden pull her in close behind her as she sensed worry coming from the smaller girl. Lucy peered back to look at her, but her eyes wondered further behind seeing the dozen or so soldiers walking behind them. The men seemed friendly enough to her. They were busy talking amongst themselves. She wanted to see whether or not they were in fact Magnolia soldiers, but they carried no emblem. That was what distraught the girl the most.

"What is it, my Lady?" Levy asked as she could feel the tension in the princess's body.

"The men have no insignias on their cloaks, nor any emblems that would portray them as soldiers of Magnolia," she answered.

"That's because Magnolia and Junelle haven't gotten along all that well in recent years," Gray said interrupting her. Both Lucy and Levy's eyes fell on him as he turned back to face the two young women. "I'm not saying that we're at war, but Junelle fell out of favor when Makrov refused to help them in the Dragon Wars, and his son, King Duke, still resents us to this day for not participating in the war."

"Why?" Lucy asked him.

"Not too sure really," Gray answered with a shrug. "Magnolia had no interest in the invasion originally, and we refused to continue participating in any war that didn't directly effect us. The truth is, Makrov saw the war for what it was; greedy kings trying to steal away the Draconan's wealth, and when the people turned into dragons, it wasn't our part to go off and fight them. Truth be told, I'm glad we didn't, otherwise we'd have suffered as much as the other countries; economically and the loss of life."

Lucy had heard about the strife between her father and Makrov from what the nobles and councilmen discussed during meetings and at social events. It had to do with the war, but it was never fully explained it to her, nor was she taught it in school. Admittedly she never really thought too much about it before, though in truth, she was never too concerned with the war in general. It happened long ago, before she was even born, and all she knew for certain was that her grandfather perished during it. But now she was growing ever more curious.

"I have often heard from my father, and various other nobles in my kingdom, that after the war, Magnolia remained one of the strongest forces in all of Firoe," Lucy said. "How true is that?"

"One of the strongest?" Gray asked chuckling. "Magnolia is the strongest in all of Fiore; even before the war. When we heard rumors of your supposed marriage to King Duke of Junelle, we prepared for war. No offense to your fiancé, but the man is known to be obsessed with his power, and the merger of your two kingdoms, along with Jean-Luc, we couldn't take any risks. We were already in talks with Nivit, Lamia, and even Blue Knights of Pegasus of forming our own alliance to counter any potential threat Duke might propose."

"Hence why I am here," Lyon grumbled. "Though I bear no ill will to Magnolia, or the others, Lamia prefers to fight on it's own. Though my mistress commands that we work together."

"So, all the other countries were preparing for war? Simply because Lucy was going to marry Duke?" Levy asked a bit confused.

"No, not necessarily," Gray answered. "It was the union between her father, Jude, and Duke that worried us. So, don't worry princess, we don't think you to be our enemy."

"In fact, we were a bit pleased to hear about your fall out with Duke," Lyon said indifferently. "That would most likely bring about an end to your father's proposal to unite the kingdoms. Which hopefully, means that we can avoid war all together."

Gray scowled at him. He didn't like that his brother had discussed Lucy's affairs so nonchalantly. He apologized to the girl on behalf of his brother's stupidity and insensitivity; a gesture that was met with a hostile leer from his brother. Lucy could see the tension erupting between the two of them as she tried to wave it off as nothing, but that didn't seem to deter the two brothers from their already inimical glares at one another. Lucy turned to Erza with a nervous stare.

"Enough you two!" Erza barked, immediately causing the two young men to shut their mouths and keep their eyes forward. Even Lucy found herself face forward eyes wide with freight.

"Speaking of the merger of the countries," Erza continued on, everyone around her still remained in silence, "it still went through. From what I understand, King Jude signed a treaty making Duke his heir apparent. Then Duke and the council exiled Jude giving Duke complete control. So, though there is no marriage, the proposal already went through."

"Really?" Lyon said in disbelief. "I can't believe it, but that news is terrible."

"Now that Duke has full power, there is not knowing what he will do," Grays said. "It looks like we might be marching towards war very soon."

"We need to send word back home, and to the other countries, especially Nivit," Lyon said nodding his head. "We'll send a carrier pigeon in the next town we arrive at."

"But we're still in Konvern country," Gray protested. "We don't know if there is word out for Lucy. It'd be better for us to wait until we leave Konvern territory before we send a warning."

"But Nivit is closer," Lucy interjected. "If you are going to warn them, and wait to leave the country to do so, than why wait? Why don't we travel there first so you can warn them sooner?"

"You really want to go to Nivit don't you?" Gray asked skeptically, though there was a hint of annoyance in his voice. "What's so special there?"

"We're meeting some friends at Nivit," Erza blurted out before Lucy had the chance to speak. Both the blonde and Levye stared at her intently. "We're supposed to meet people that would help protect Lucy. After all, Duke did attempt to murder her when he had the chance."

"Really?" Lyon gasped in shock. "What did you do to warrant such a punishment?"

"That is none of your concern!" Erza growled. "What happened between the princess and Duke is her business, and her business alone and does not concern you, or anyone for that matter. So I suggest you cease your pestering of the poor girl and leave her be."

"Geez, sorry," Lyon said rolling his eyes, "I meant no offense."

"Anyways, we have to keep heading northwest to Magnolia," Gray told her. We can warn Nivit before hand, and we'll send them a note to give your friends explaining what happened. So, for now don't stress out too much over the situation, everything will be figured out. Maybe you can have your friends meet you in Magnolia."

"Yeah," Lucy sighed. "Maybe."

That night the group made camp, the soldiers created three fire pits and sat around it to eat. Lucy and the other two girls sat around the third fire with Gray and Lyon while the other soldiers sat around the other two. Most of the men just talked amongst themselves, none of them had any idea who Lucy and the others were. Gray and Lyon had decided to keep it amongst themselves, as Lyon kept the fire going while Gray threw some meat and beans over the flames.

Once the food started to cook Gray and Lyon fetched some blankets from the horses on their bags and offered it to the girls. The girl's thanked them as they threw the blankets over their shoulders, shielding their bodies from the bitter wind of the night air. They got closer to the fire, Lucy gripping hers tightly as she grasped at the dragon pennant underneath her gown. She began to wonder if she would ever seen Natsu again. She missed him dearly, the sight of the fire reminded her of him. She sighed to herself, watching the food cook. It didn't look all that appealing, but her stomach ached for a good meal, something she hadn't had in a couple of days. And with all the excitement from earlier, she had worked up quite an appetite.

"I'm sorry, it's nothing compared to the chiefs and cooks from the castle kitchen," Gray said as he handed a plate to Lucy, "but it should stave off the hunger for now."

"It's fine, thank you," Lucy said smiling at him. She reached out her hand from underneath her blanket and took the plate in her hand.

Gray watched her from the corner of his eye as he handed a plate to the other two girls, both of him thanked him with appreciation. He could see the girl taking her knife and fork, cutting each piece of meat before she ate it properly. Levy proceeded in the same manner as the princess. However, Erza wasted no time with the silverware as she lifted the food with her hands and choked it down. Gray laughed to himself as he fixed his own plate, while Lucy watched the red head with disgust.

"There's no need to act all proper here my Lady," Lyon said to her as he scooped up a couple of beans, "you're not in the presence of fine company."

Lucy eyed him carefully, but she didn't need to hear another word before she picked up the meat with both hands and devoured it like a starving animal. She nearly choked down on her food, as Levy watched her in bugged eyed horror. Though the sight of the princess eating her food in such a way caused her to follow suit.

Gray and Lyon laughed to themselves as the white haired boy plucked a water pouch from his side and offered it up to the blonde. Lucy took it without hesitation as she drained down a mouthful of both meat and beans with it. She then handed it to Levy who did the same thing before she went back to eating. Before Levy had a chance to finish Erza reached over and grabbed it from her hands, causing some water to fall on the small girl's lap, before she finished it off. Lyon and Gray exchanged glances of satisfaction as they slowly ate their own meals.

"So tell me, my Lady," Lyon said addressing Lucy, "do you know of any plans King Duke may have for the future of the two kingdoms?"

"Nah-uh," Lucy muddled through a mouthful of food, shaking her head. She swallowed before she could properly answer him. "I don't. My father and Kind Duke never expressed any of their plans with me. In truth, I think that I was nothing more than a means to an end." She sighed the last sentence, feeling a bit depressed now that she though back on her and Duke's relationship. She had never cared about him, nor did he ever care about her. The thought hat she had almost married that monster still sent cold shivers down her spine.

"Well that means we're still in the dark about everything," Lyon said to Gray.

"Yeah, and now that Duke has complete control over the three countries by himself, that completely laves everything volatile," Lyon said as he slowly chewed on his food. He rubbed his chin, pondering over what they would do next. "If Jude were still in power, we would be more familiar with his tactics and predict what moves he would take."

"Seeing as how Jude is no longer the King of Konvern, we'll just have to rely on what Makrov and the others suggest," Gray told him as he said swallowing some of his food. "But, we have to make sure that we get the princess back up to Magnolia. Even Nivit will not be safe for her." He made sure that he whispered the last sentence to Lyon so as not to alert the princess. He didn't want to alarm her, or her compatriots of the danger they could be in.

Night was fast approaching and Natsu found himself wondering wearily forward through the forest. They hadn't come across a village or any sign of human life since they had left Konvern. It was nothing but brush, trees and grass. There was the occasional animal that wondered by, but it normally be just a squirrel or rabbit, nothing that would satisfy his hunger. Jellal was not that much better as he too seemed to be slowing down from a lack of eating. Though he tried his best not to show it.

Natsu's stomach growled with a loud and furious grumble, as he would have given anything for something to eat. He sagged, exhausted from the fret of hunger, as Jellal tried to press him forward, but even he was succumbing to hunger. He peered around the forest, hoping to find something that he could eat, but what could he? There were no bushes with berries, nor was there an animal near by that he could capture and eat. Maybe, if they came across a stream they could find some fish.

Eventually, his hopes came true as they spotted a large creek just a little ways down the wood. Natsu wasted no time as he sprinted towards it with excitement. Jellal on the other hand was not as amused, but he was still hoping that there would at least be something there to help them fill their bellies. Natsu slid to a grinding halt as he peered down into the water. His eyes shifting around the water until he finally spotted some trout swimming just a couple of meters from the shore.

"How do you plan on catching anything?" Jellal asked Natsu as he cringed under the pain of a severe stomach growl.

"Just watch and wait," Natsu said turning to face the young noble with a wide grin.

Without another moment to lose the young teen sprung into the water head first. Jellal reached out his hand to try and stop the young boy, but he was too late. Natsu had disappeared under the surface.

"Natsu!" Jellal cried, but in vain.

When he reemerged he had a wide smile on his face, both of delight and pride in himself as he held up two large trout in each hand. Jellal breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the pink haired teen start walking out of the creek.

"I thought you said you couldn't swim?" Jellal asked skeptically, folding his arms across his chest.

"I can't," Natsu said blinking in confusion. "The creek isn't that deep, but I had to jump in to grab the fish. It's not like I couldn't stand in the water, it's pretty shallow after all."

"Well, at least you caught us something to eat," Jellal said in a deep breath.

"Us?" Natsu said confused. "I caught these for me!" He went back to his same old goofy grin as he held the fish up.

"What?" Jellal said in disbelief.

"I'm kidding," Natsu laughed as he walked back onto the bank. "You can have one too. Just stand back for a second."

Jellal did as he was told as he took a couple of steps back. Natsu held the fish outstretched before breathing a long and furious fire to cook them. Jellal watched in avid amazement as the boy finished, holding now two cook fish in his hands.

"Here," Natsu said throwing him a fish before he plopped down on the grass and began engulfing his own catch. He didn't even bother to descale it, or take out the bones. He just nibbled on it as it was.

Jellal took his own seat, realizing that this was the best he was going to get, he too just started to eat the fish. It wasn't that bad, though he never really ate a fish without any seasoning or spices, but he had to admit that it wasn't all that bad. Though Natsu had finished his fish before Jellal had even taken two bites.

"Ah," Natsu sighed in relief as he laid back patting his stomach. "That was good, but admittedly I could use another."

Jellal watched as the young teen leapt to his feet and ran to the bank of the river. As he took another bite of his fish he began to wonder what it was about the boy that made him so strange. He may have been a slave but he was always in high spirits, even now. He turned his attention over to the young Draconan as the boy leapt back into the creek, vanishing beneath the surface.

Jellal knew about Duke's plan, and ultimately that it would lead to war. He hated that they had to take any kinds of breaks, since they needed to get to Mila very soon. He knew that Duke would be posed to invade Nivit, and if the young king did that, than war would surly erupt around Fiore. That was what worried him the most, but would they make it back in time to grab the others, or would Duke amass his army in time to invade? If that happened, what would happen to Lucy and Erza? He could feel his stomach knot up as he thought about it.

There was no way they could go there now, the entire country of Konvern would be looking for them, and there would be no way for them to even hope to bypass that much land on foot. They needed the horses, and they needed to go around Konvern without being seen. He wondered if they could get a ship instead, hide aboard one of the merchant vessels heading to Nivit. That would probably be the best way to go about it.

"I got some more!" Natsu yelled as he jumped out of the water, this time holding four fish in his hands.

"That's good!" Jellal called out to him. "But Mila should be another two days on foot, so we'll probably need some more for the road. There's no guarantee that we'll find another creek or river on our way there, nor that we'll find any inns and what not."

"No problem," Natsu said as he threw the fish on the bank. He dove back into the water.

Jellal smiled to himself as he went back to his lunch. He was sure about one thing though, he was happy to have the company of Natsu with him. The boy just had something about him that made him so likable. Perhaps Jellal shouldn't stress out too much about the whole situation. Erza should be able to handle everything and watch over the others without too much trouble. But then again, he hoped that they were okay, he hoped that she was okay. He took a deep breath looking at his fish sighing to himself.

"I got some more!" Natsu yelled as he threw four more fish on the bank. "I'm going back for more!"

Jellal looked out to the creek where the boy had been diving. His gaze fell back on the fish as Natsu jumped back out of the water, throwing his catch on the bank before jumping back in. As Jellal watched him, he slowly realized that there was hope after all.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 22

Arrival at Magnolia

Natsu and Jellal had been traveling for three days before they were finally out of Konvern territory, and came upon an inn just a few kilometers from Mila. The two of them were ecstatic that they were finally out of the wilderness, Jellal more so than Natsu. He could finally eat something other than fish and berries for once, and perhaps enjoy a cup of wine while he was at it. Have a proper meal as it were, and hopefully a nice warm bed to sleep in instead of the itchy tall grass. But he could see that his Draconan companion was well off eating the basic foods, and he could tell that Natsu was more interested in arriving at Mila than he was sleeping in a cot.

The two of them trudged on heading towards the small building, night was fast approaching as the last light of the sun had almost set behind the surrounding mountains. It appeared run down, and if it were not for the few men standing outside drinking from cups of ale while their horses fed on hay and barley, they could have sworn it was abandoned.

It was nestled in a tree line near crossroads that led straight towards the gates of Mila, while the other road forked out into the woods. The building itself was mostly comprised of moss covered stone bricks, with a rickety water mill rolling along in a stream right next to the building. A stable stood far off, a little further into the trees, though the wood appeared to have been festering with termites and rot. The roof of the inn itself was no better, and the door was no more than a large piece of wood nailed into the wall.

As Natsu and Jellal walked forward the three men standing out front eyed them with sinister glares. Jellal could understand why, though they were nothing more than rags now; nearly torn to shreds, his clothes were still made of fine wool and cotton. He knew that if he wanted to keep attention away from himself, it would be best to ditch his clothes away as soon as possible. But for now, he needed a warm meal and cold drink.

Once they had stepped inside, Jellal realized that this inn was no better on the inside than it was on the outside. The wooden floors were nearly black from filth and lack of cleaning, the tables in the dinning room near the front counter were standing on their last legs and the men sitting at them had the same grimace glare as the other men standing outside. The fireplace cracked with a small flame, while a black cauldron hung above it. The stew inside was over boiling, as bubbles bean to overflow from the sides.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" the innkeeper hissed through a row of rotting teeth. One of his ghostly eyes was scarred shut, small patches of fuzz covered his grimy cheeks and grease soaked the rest.

"Yes, we would like to rent a room for the evening," Jellal answered as he pulled out a small bag of coins from one of his inner pockets.

The innkeeper eyed Jellal carefully, he glared at him, not trusting the boy, but he picked up the bag and turned it over, allowing the small golden coins within to fall onto the counter top. He used his finger to gather them all in a small pile, counting them before taking the payment he needed and handing the rest back to Jellal.

"I reckon you boys will want some supper as well?" he grumbled as he scooped the coins on the table into his hand.

"Yes please," Jellal answered as he picked up the other coins.

"All right then," the innkeeper said as he reached over and plucked one of the coins out of Jellal's hand. The young man looked at him quizzically, raising an eyebrow. "For the meal," the old innkeeper said as he held up the coin before placing it with the others.

Jellal sighed; rolling his eyes as he put the rest of the coins into the small bag and placing it back into his pocket. He gestured for Natsu to follow him as the two of them took their seats at a table nearby the fireplace. Somewhere where they could sit out of the sight of the other men in the inn. It wasn't long before an archaic elderly woman walked up and placed two plates of sausages, soggy cabbage, and some yellow paste like substance.

Natsu poked the yellow paste as it twitched under his finger. He shrugged as he picked it up with his fingers and threw it into his mouth. He began to chew on it, his teeth getting stuck together. Jellal stared at his plate for a few moments, wondering if the food was even edible, but the hunger pains in his stomach were enough to convince him to start eating. Jellal leaned over his plate frantically shoveling food into his mouth, slicing up his sausage as he chewed.

The elderly hag returned with a cup of win and set it by Jellal as she peered at him with disgust before walking away. Jellal grabbed the cup of wine, and in one gulp washed a mouthful of food down his throat. Natsu grabbed his own cup, sipping it as he watched Jellal.

Once they had finished Natsu sat back in his chair, rubbing his full belly in delight. Jellal sighed; feeling a bit nauseous after eating the rank food, or it could have been from eating it too fast. Either way, he didn't feel good, but at least it was something. He rested his head on the table as the stewardess brought him another cup of wine. He apathetically turned his head to see it sitting just inches away from his nose. With a grunt he pushed it away from him, making sure that it was out of eyesight.

It was in that moment that two men barged through the door. One of them wore a helmet with ram's horns painted on the sides, while another man with avian like features walked in behind him. Natsu stared at the two of them while most of the other men in the inn just ignored them. He thought they were funny looking men, almost like animals. It was a bit strange, but then again who was he to really say what was strange and what wasn't.

"Innkeeper, we request a room," the man with bird like beak for a nose shouted as they glided up to the front desk, "and some beer and food."

"All right, all right," the innkeeper grumbled as he walked up to the front counter, "hold your horses. You have to pay first before you expect any food or shelter."

"Fine old man," the man with the goatee said as he pulled out a purse. "Also, we have a slave chained up outside. How much for him to stay in the stables?" The man asked peering up from his bag.

Natsu twitched as he heard the mention of slaves. He glared over at the two men, sliding his chair back he stood up. Jellal reached over and grabbed his hand before the boy could take a step forward. He shook his head no as Natsu glared down at him. The boy seethed for a moment, eyeing the two men with a menacing glare. He took a couple of moments before he reluctantly sat down. He didn't like it, but he would listen to Jellal, at least for the time being.

"I don't like having slaves sleep out in the stables," the innkeeper grumbled. "Bring him in here, he can stay with the kitchen slaves for the night."

"Very well," the goateed man said as they slammed down a few coins onto the countertop. He motioned his head to his partner as the other man ran outside to retrieve the slave.

"You expect me to sit here and let them continue to treat a slave like he's cattle? After all we fought for back in Konvern. Now you want me to just sit by and do nothing?" Natsu growled.

"If you expect to sleep in a bed tonight," Jellal answered. "Wait till tomorrow, I don't want to be thrown out in the middle of the night, not when we're this close. It's an issue you can deal with tomorrow, so please try to endure it for now."

"Fine," Natsu grumbled. "We'll do it your way. For now."

When the other man returned to the inside of the inn he brought he dragged behind him a young Draconan man with long, black spikey hair. Both Jellal and Natsu's eyes went wide as they immediately recognized the young man as Gajeel. Gajeel woozily staggering forward, struggling to keep his balance while his body was completely wrapped in metal chains.

"Oi, what's that man all tied up like that?"

Natsu bolted to his feet as he knocked the chair over. Jellal was just as surprised as Natsu to see Gajeel there. Natsu found himself becoming overwhelmed with anger, and worry. Not for Gajeel, but the sight of the boy in chains made him wonder what had happened to Lucy. If those men had harmed her, he was going to roast them alive. It wasn't a threat either; he would roar flames at them right then and there despite what the others around him would see.

"Natsu?" Gajeel grumbled drearily. "What in the hells are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Natsu growled. He glided forwards straight towards the other two men who drew out their own swords. "Why are you here? Where's Lucy and the others?"

"Hey, why don't you take a step back boy, this here is our prisoner you're talking to," the avian faced man said as he lurked forward, he pointed his sword at Natsu.

Natsu leered at the two of them, hissing as streams of fire flared from his nostrils. The two men looked on with horror as they took a step back. They weren't the only ones, the other men in the inn were just as stunned. The two men held up their swords, their hands shaking as they watched Natsu approach them threateningly, seething to himself as his eyes beginning to slant as his flesh started to mold into scales.

"Get out," Natsu growled as fire erupted from his nostrils. The two men exchanged looks of worry, but they wasted no time as they bolted towards the door and out of the inn, leaving Gajeel behind.

"Hey!" the innkeeper barked. "I won't have you chasing away my customers! And don't be starting no fights either, or I'll have you thrown out! You hear me boy?"

But his words fell on deaf ears as Natsu bolted out of the inn, chasing after the men who had brought Gajeel in. Before either Jellal or Gajeel could say anything to him, Natsu was out the door and vanished into the night. He moved at such a furious speed that he was gone in the blink of an eye. Jellal sighed as he rubbed his forehead on his palm in annoyance. He stood up and walked over to the still tied up Gajeel. He examined the chains of the young teen removed some pins from his coat and unlocked the chains, causing them to collapse onto the ground.

"Should we go after him?" Gajeel asked as he rubbed his wrists once he was free. His eyes wondered over to the door where Natsu had disappeared.

"Yeah, I guess," Jellal sighed shaking his head. "If we don't catch up to him now he'll probably run all the way back to Konvern on us."

"Fine," Gajeel sighed agitatedly. "I guess you have a point."

"By the way, are the girls okay?" Jellal asked as the two of them left the inn. "What happened to you guys? Where are they?"

The two of them made their way back up the road. They couldn't see Natsu, but at the rate the boy was sprinting it really wasn't that much of a surprise. They didn't see the two slavers that had brought Gajeel in either, but they didn't care about them, their only interest was to find Natsu. It might be hard for them to do it in the night, but they were pretty sure that the boy couldn't have gone too far. Jellal wondered why the boy had to be so hot headed about the issue. He was just as concerned about Erza as Natsu was about Lucy.

"We were ambushed," Gajeel said, once they had stepped out into the night air. "There were at least a dozen men or so. They had us tied up, but they separated me from the girls. I was to be taken to the coliseum to be sold as a gladiator, but they said they were going to take the girls to Mila to be sold as slaves."

"What?" Jellal said in disbelief. "That means they're only a few miles away. How long ago did you set out?"

"A few days ago, but they had us ride horses, while they were on foot," Gajeel answered.

"Did they," Jellal hesitated to finish his though, and it made him sick to his stomach just thinking about it, but he had to ask. "Did they do anything to the girls? Did they violate them in any way?"

"Not that I saw," Gajeel said shaking his head, but he offered Jellal reassuring eyes. "I convinced them not to touch the girls in that way, or anyway for that matter. Said that they were virgins, and they would make more money selling them that way. It seemed to have work, the main leader bought the idea and he forbade the other bandits from going near the girls. But unfortunately, that was before I was dragged off, but I have met this man before, and trust me, he cares more about money than he does anything else, so they should be fine."

"Good," Jellal said under his breath as he breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, we should tell Natsu, hopefully that will calm him down. That is, if we can even find him."

"Natsu!" Gajeel shouted. "Natsu you stupid ass, get back here!"

The company Lucy and the other girls were with had been traveling almost nonstop for almost two weeks. They had left the wood several days ago to venture out into the rolling hills and over the mountains, making the journey that much more exhausting, though they carried on. The summer sun was becoming unbearable as it baked the surface of the Earth with hot rays. It was almost unbearable to withstand, but at least she was riding on a horse rather than walking like the soldiers. Though to her surprise, they didn't appear to mind the heat so much.

She had to change her dress, as did Levy. Erza wore her breast-plated armor, refusing to remove it. The girls had to wear some more common clothing, something more suitable for travel. Lucy didn't mind, it was just a white blouse and blue jeans for riding.

The mountains were rocky and steep, jagged ledges lined up most of the exterior. The horses struggled to carry the girls up the dirt pathway, but they trudged on anyways, and though Lucy felt like it be better that they walk; Gray and Erza insisted she stay on the horse. They winded their way along a pathway that followed the side of the cliffs; Lucy was a bit frightened by the height as she tried her best not to peer down, a sight that reminded her of when she looked down from the castle towers. Though the road hugged the side of the mountain, barely enough room for one man to walk along it, let alone a horse. Though it seemed that she was the only one that was uneasy about it.

She had asked them why they decided to take this route instead of going around the mountains. Gray told her that it was a faster and safer route for their company to take, since it was not well known and it kept them out of sight of the normal road. It provided them with cover, and it was a direct route to Magnolia, which he told her was just on the other side of the mountain range. She hoped that he was right, but it wouldn't take long for her to realize that he was..

They had managed to make it to the other side of the mountain, still high up on a cliff, but Lucy could finally see it. The magnificent city of Magnolia residing down in the green valley below. It was situated on the coast of the bay; she could see a large harbor full of ships traveling into the port. A large structure at the heart of it stood out amongst the other buildings, and though it took her a couple of moments she soon realized that it was a large cathedral, with towers of stone and a golden dome.

The buildings were tall, and made of limestone. A small river ran through the heart of the city, though she was too far away to see if there were any boats drifting in it. The rest of the surrounding valley was farmland with the same river, bending and weaving through the fields. There was a field of lavender growing at the bed of the river, in front of numerous fields of wheat, barely, and hay.

"Pretty spectacular isn't it?" Gray said to her as he stopped and admired the scene with her.

"Yeah," Lucy exhaled as she sat there on the horse while all the others pressed on.

As they entered the valley, the company of soldiers and girls traveled pass the lavender fields, Lucy couldn't help but notice how beautiful they were. It made her think of the lake, the flowers and the subtle surface of the water. For some reason they reminded her of Natsu, and the time they used to spend together when they were kids. She missed the warmness of his arms and body pressing up against her and the taste of his lips against hers.

Eventually they finally came upon the main gate of the city. To her amazement the gate had to be twice as large as the one they had back in Konvern, with two tall towers made of limestone on either side. When the gates opened it revealed the splendor of the city; buildings constructed of brick and roads made of stone and concrete. A river ran through the middle of the city with bridges of stone that while gondolas rowed in the water.

As they passed through the gate, Lucy could see children playing near one of the various bridges. Once they spotted the company of soldiers walking the children eagerly ran over to greet them. The bounced around asking the soldiers questions of where they had been and about their journey, but mostly they wanted to see the men's weapons and armor. Lucy smiled as one little girl, no older than five, came running over to her with a wide grin on her face, waving at the blonde as she passed on by. Lucy waved back, as she noticed more and more of the locals were coming to their windows and front of their stores and homes to see the returning soldiers.

She noticed that along the river resided a short wall made of stone, put there to help stop people from accidentally falling in. Cherry blossoms were planted every block to help shade the area, something that made the city that much more beautiful. The buildings were taller than most other buildings in cities, some as tall as seven stories, all made of stone and brick. The streets were clean, and unlike Konvern the streets were clean stone rather than mud. The air didn't smell of terrible here like back in Konvern.

They made their way down the road, until finally they came to the heart of the city where a large stone fortress stood out amongst all the other buildings. It was enormous, almost five city blocks on its own, but it stood isolated in, surrounded by a man made moat that encircled the outer wall. There were towers at every point, all as tall as the ones she had back at home, with an even larger tower situated in the center of it all, with a large clock made of stain glass windows near the peak. A drawbridge lay down allowing the company to pass over and into the fortress itself.

Once inside the fortress's courtyard, Lucy hoped off her horse as a few servant men took them over to a nearby stable. The other soldiers broke away from the main group as the wondered off to the side towards what appeared to be a barracks with other men awaiting them. They threw their things down and sat down to rest after their long journey. Lucy felt the soft touch of Levy's hand on her shoulder as she saw that Gray and Lyon were gesturing the girls to follow them into the main fortress itself.

Once inside, Lucy marveled at the splendor of the decoration and apparel of the fortress. It didn't appear to be a fortress at all, it appeared to be decorated in the fashion of an extravagant castle meant for a king. The floors were made of white polished, marble, ivory pillars stood erect along the walls, and glass chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The entryway was wide, with a marble staircase that led to higher levels, and polished oak railings.

As her eyes wondered around she noticed a tiny, elderly man gliding down the stairwell. He was a strange looking man, with a bald head that had silver hair jetting out of the sides in every direction. He had a small, white mustache underneath his round nose and gray skin. The one thing that stood out about his appearance was how tiny he was, not much taller than a young child. He wore a brass buttoned, black suit with white gloves. He had a wide, and friendly grin on his lips, a sight that made Lucy feel a bit more at ease.

"Master Makrov," Gray said bowing his head as the small man arrived at the bottom of the staircase, "may I present to you Princess Lucy Heartfilia, and her companions Levy McGarden and Erza Scarlett."

Both Levy and Lucy walked up and curtseyed to the old man in a polite manner while Erza simply bowed her head in the same manner as any other knight.

"Well now Princess Lucy of Konvern," Makrov said smiling widely at her, "it is an honor to have you, and your companions here in Magnolia. If there is anything that I can get for you, please do not hesitate to ask. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you like. That goes for the two of you as well," he said addressing Erza and Levy.

"Thank you," Lucy said bowing her head. "Your offer is too generous."

"And you," he said turning to Erza. "Why is such a beautiful young lady such as yourself wearing armor and carrying around a blade? Such a sight does not suit a woman such as yourself."

"I am Princess Lucy's guard, Master Makrov," Erza told him.

"A woman knight, eh?" Makrov said rubbing his chin. "I never thought I'd see the day. Well isn't that just splendid! If you want, you're more than welcome to join our ranks."

"Really?" Erza gasped in disbelief. "Thank you, my Lord."

"Ah, think nothing of it," Makrov said waving it off. "And don't call me Lord," He said sternly raising a finger at the red head. "I am no one's lord. I may help run Magnolia, but the people are the ones who rule here, not me. And besides, it's always nice to see some pretty young faces around here. Gray, could you please escort these young ladies to their accommodations? Take them to the special girl's housing please, you know the one? Make sure that they get settled, and bring them anything they need."

With that Master Makrov took his leave as he bounced back up the stairway and disappeared down on of the many corridors of the fortress. Lucy watched him as he left, thinking that the man was as strange as she thought he would be, but he seemed kind enough. She couldn't help but feel comfortable around the old man, he just had something about him.

"Yes sir," Gray said nodding his head. "Follow me ladies," he said leading them back out of the fortress.

"Wait, we're not staying inside the palace?" Lucy asked a bit perplexed as she followed the young man back out the entryway.

"This isn't a palace my Lady," Gray chuckled as he turned back his head so he could look at her. "This fortress serves as a military headquarter than a palace. It used to be, but that was a long time ago, back when Magnolia had it's own king. Now, we just rule ourselves, and Master Makarov serves as our leader. Though he has been contemplating retirement recently, but I'm pretty sure nobody in town wants him to."

"Oh, I see," Lucy answered.

The four of them made their way to the other side of the fortress as Gray led them up a stone road to what appeared to be a large house, situated between two larger apartment buildings. It overlooked the river from the back and it seemed to be well kept. There were flowerbeds outside each of the windows. It was about three stories high, made of yellow brick with a red roof.

"Well, here we go," Gray said as he stopped at the stone stoop that led up to the main door. "This is the guest housing that Master Makrov has reserved for our more, _important_, guests. Feel free to make yourselves at home, and if you need anything don't hesitate to ask. I'll be off at Fairy Tail Pub just down the road," he said pointing up the way they came.

"How will we be able to find it in case we do need you for something?" Levy asked.

"Don't worry," Gray answered with a chuckle. "It's just a couple of blocks up the road if you go straight. And trust me, there is no way for you to miss it. Enjoy yourselves ladies."

Lucy and Levy watched him as he strolled on down the road, Erza made her way up into the house. "You coming," she said as she opened the door. Levy and Lucy looked at one another before they too made their way inside.

The two girls gasped once they saw the interior. The walls were decorated with floral wallpaper, and the doors had hand carved white wooden molding outlying the floor and doors. The violet couches were made of satin, the other chairs were made of polished oak, and there were fine crafted oriental rugs lining the floors. The floor itself was made of wood, polished to the point that the light reflecting off of it was blinding. But what stood out more than anything about the room, was the view of the bay in the back that the girls had.

Lucy immediately rushed over to it to get a better glimpse of the view. She flung her body up to the white stone railing to get a better view. She noticed that the house was on a tall hill, and beneath her lied half of the city. But she was still on a high enough porch that she could actually see ships sailing out in the crystal blue water. Rocky cliffs encircled the bay, with a lighthouse on top of the one off to the far right. The buildings were made of stone, with red roof houses, and went as far as the beach. She had never seen anything like it before in her life, and it made her think of the lake back when she was younger.

"Natsu," she exhaled as she continued to gaze out to the city. A soft breeze began to blow by, causing her hair to wave gently in front of her eyes as she brushed it back with her hand. "Where are you?"


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Going to the Pub

For Lucy, one of the best features of the guesthouse had to be the bathroom. A large, porcelain tub sat in the back of the room, atop a couple of steps of marble, with steaming hot water dripping from the faucet of a shower. The rest of the bathroom was adorned with two full body mirrors on both walls, and a porcelain sink with two sinks. On a rack near the tub, and next to the sink, hung fine monogram towels with the letter 'M' stitched onto them. It was big enough to fit at least three people, but for Lucy she was fine just sitting there alone with her thoughts.

She still carried her pennant around her neck, even as she soaked in the bath. She rubbed her fingers across its fine grains thinking back to the day that Natsu had given it to her. She still wondered where he could be, and she hoped that he was okay. She hoped that Jellal had managed to free him from his imprisonment, and that the two of them made it out of Konvern in one piece. She hated not knowing, and she hated that she had no way of communicating with either of them.

She closed her eyes and reminisced for a moment, thinking about the other times she had spent with Natsu on the lake. She blushed a bit to herself as she reflected on their first kiss. It was back at home during the spring, and she and Natsu were at the lake, sitting under the apple tree. It was in full bloom as the petals cascaded from the branches like droplets in the rain. She sat there next to him, her blonde hair tied back with a blue ribbon, her body leaning in closer to Natsu's. The boy's face was flushed with nervous excitement, and just as her lips drew closer, Lucy was stirred awake by a loud knock on the door.

"Miss Lucy," she could hear Erza call from the other side of the door, "is everything alright in there?"

"Y-yes everything is fine," she stuttered as she snapped back to attention.

With out another second to waste, Erza opened the door and stepped inside. Lucy yelped as she ducked down deeper into the water, clasping her arms to hide her breasts. Her face flushed a deep scarlet as she bit her lip and averted her eyes away from the young red head.

"What's wrong?" Erza asked raising an eyebrow at the young blonde. "Why is your face so red?"

"Why are you in here if I'm still taking a bath?" Lucy cried mortified. "Can't you see that I'm naked right now?"

Erza peered at her with a quizzical glare, wondering why the princess was so embarrassed. She couldn't understand it, it's not like it should be uncommon for her to have servants see her naked at the castle. At least that's what Erza thought, but she still couldn't understand why a girl would be so embarrassed by another girl seeing her in such a way?

"Would you get out already?" Lucy yelped.

"Fine, I'll leave," Erza said, "but hurry up and get dressed. I'm planning on taking Levy and you to that Fairy Tail Pub that Gray told us about. I feel like it would do us some good to get out and stretch our legs."

Lucy groaned, but under the harsh flare of Erza's glare, the blonde realized she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Besides, she would like to see more of the town. There was so much she wanted to explore, to see where the river led, to visit some of the more exquisite restaurants and cafes, and maybe even take a trip to the beach. She had never been there before, and from the stories she's heard and read, it sounded lovely.

After she had gotten dressed, she wore a long, cobalt satin blue sundress that she found in one of the closets in the house. She was surprised to find them fully stocked with fine clothing. She wondered if Magnolia had knew of the girl's arrival though she wouldn't know how. The dress didn't fit her perfectly, but it was pretty close, and with a few minor adjustments, she was able to make it work. Levy wore a satin lavender dress with a puffy shoulder, but Erza wore her same style of clothing she always did.

They made their way down the stone road, greeted with friendly hellos by the town's people as they made their way. Lucy felt a bit perplexed by the generosity they were receiving. Such hospitality was never seen back home in Konvern, but what stood out to her the most was that she couldn't spot a single slave in sight. No matter where she looked, everyone in the town was a simple citizen.

Finally they came upon a large building, made of stone bricks, large windows and large oak door for an entrance. It almost looked like it could have been it's own fortress if it needed to be. The building stood at least three stories tall, long rows of windows, and even had a few bushes situated out under the first row. Above the door, engraved in stone were the words, "FAIRY TAIL," painted in red and gold, with a picture of a fairy like creature above it.

Erza wasted no time as she stepped up to the front door. She turned back at the other two girls before opening it up and stepped inside. Lucy and Levy exchange glances of hesitation, neither of them had even been to a pub before, and they weren't too sure about this time. But they determined that maybe as long as Erza was with the two of them they would be okay.

Once they were inside, Lucy was even more astonished by the luxury of the place. She had always heard that pubs and bars were full of sick, descripted drunks, that were usually havens for vermin and grim. Though this place was just the opposite of what she had been told. There were tiles of blue and white that lined the walls, the high windows allowed the sun's rays to light up the inside, even though there were wooden chandeliers with candles that hung from the roof. Wooden tables scattered around the room, filled with people talking and drinking with one another. At the front of the bar stood an incredibly long bar with shelves stocked with liquor along the back wall.

As Lucy's eyes wondered around the building they eventually fell down upon a man that was sitting at the bar, with long, red greasy hair. He wore a raggedy black cloak with tears on the bottom. She thought the man looked familiar as she glided through the crowd over to the man. Levy and Erza watched as she made her way through the crowd. She saw him take a drink of beer from his pint, as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah?" the man grumbled as he placed his mug down on the counter and turned to see Lucy standing behind him. His eyes went wide as he immediately recognized her. "Lucy!?" he cried as he leapt out of his chair and lifted the girl up in his arms.

"Hello Gildarts," Lucy gigged as Gildarts twirled her around in the air.

"Look at how big you've grown," he said as he placed her back down onto her feet, "and into such a beautiful young lady at that." Lucy blushed as she thanked him for the compliment. "Shit, how long has it been? Four years? Wow. So how have you been? What brings you to Magnolia?"

"Didn't you hear about what happened in Konvern?" she asked him.

"No," Gildarts said shaking his head. "I was actually off doing a mission for Makrov the past couple of weeks. I only just got in a few days ago. So is everything all right? How is Natsu by the way? Is he with you?"

Lucy bit her lip as her smile faded to into a frown. Gildarts could see the distraught in the young girl's eyes as he began to grow more concerned. The tension between the two of them finally snapped as Levy and Erza step up behind the young blonde.

"Lucy, who's this?" Erza asked as she eyed Gildarts.

"Oh, Erza?" Lucy said, just realizing at that moment that she had arrived at the pub with Erza and Levy. "This is Gildarts, he's an old mentor, and friend of mine from childhood."

"Nice to meet you ladies," Gildarts said with a wide grin. "Now Lucy, tell me what happened. I want to know everything. Is Natsu okay? What happened in Konvern?"

Lucy proceeded to tell Gildarts the entire story. From her arranged marriage to Duke, to the planned revolt and how Natsu had been imprisoned in the tower. Gildarts listened intently as he absorbed each and every word Lucy spoke. She told him about how she and the others were attacked by bandits on their way to Nivit, only to be saved by Gray and Lyon, and that's how she ended up in Magnolia. When she had finally finished Gildarts simply nodded his head, and took a sip of his beer.

"I don't think you need to worry about Natsu too much," he chuckled. "I'm sure both he and Jellal are fine. Not sure what I can say about you Gajeel friend though. If he's anything like Natsu, he'll make it out just fine. You don't need to worry too much about him," Gildarts said with a smile. "You know him just as well as anyone. That boy is far too stubborn to let some prison hold him."

"You're right," Lucy said offering him a weak grin, though deep down in her heart she couldn't help but worry.

"Gildarts, who are your new friends?" a voice asked from behind the counter.

There standing behind Gildarts was a young woman with long white hair, tied up in the front with a purple ribbon. She had a gentle smile; one that was radiant and friendly. She had dark eyes, and fairly pale skin. She wore a long pink dress, with white apron tied around her waste, as her bosom bulged from a tight torso. She was a bit on the thin side, but not something that would be considered too unhealthy.

"Oh, Mira," Gildarts said. "This is Lucy, an old friend of mine from Konvern. And these are—"

"Erza," the red head interrupted as she stepped forward. She extended her hand to shake the other young woman's. "And this is Levy," she said motioning her head to the small, blue haired girl. "Nice to meet you."

"It's a pleasure," Mira said, still smiling widely. "Any friend of Gildarts is more than welcomed here."

"Thank you," Erza told her.

"Hey, how about I introduce you all to everyone in the pub?" Mira asked as her eyes lit up.

"No that's okay we don't—" Erza tried to say, but she was cut off as Mira ran out from behind the counter, taking Erza and Lucy by the hand and dragging them over to the nearest table. Levy watched a bit worried but she ultimately followed them as well.

Gildart watched from his seat, chuckling to himself as he drank the last of his ale. He was happy to see the young blonde, happier than he had been in long time. He could see the girls were a bit flustered by being rushed off all of a sudden by Mira. As he watched a young woman with long brunette hair, nothing more than a bikini top and long khaki pants, walked over and took a seat right down next to him. She held her own jug of beer out in front of her as she turned her attention to what the old man was looking at.

"Hey there Cana," Gildarts said not taking his eyes off the other girls.

"So, who's your new friends dad?" Cana asked taking a sip of her drink.

"Well, she's not actually a new friend per se," Gildarts told her. "That's Lucy, the little girl from Konvern I told you about."

"That's Lucy?" Cana said in a startled voice. "What's she doing in Magnolia?"

"There was a revolution, her father was exiled, her former fiancé tried to kill her. It's kind of a long story," Gildarts said as he watched Lucy get a bit uncomfortable as Mira introduced her to everyone. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he saw just how flustered the girl was getting.

"I see," Cana said, as a sly smile crossed her lips. "So, Princess Lucy is going to be staying with us? This could get interesting."

Gildarts watched her with a skeptical eye. He had seen that smile on her before, and he knew that it meant that she was up to no good. But what it was, he couldn't figure out just yet.

"What are you thinking?" Gildarts asked eyeing his daughter with a skeptical glare.

"Nothing," Cana answered through a sinister giggle, before taking another sip of her beer. "Nothing at all."

"Let me go!" Natsu cried.

His entire entire half of his upper body was tied up in a thick rope as his body was dragged down the dirt road. Gajeel held the other end of the rope, taking a little enjoyment out of the whole experience. Jellal walked next to him, a bit annoyed with the two of them, but more so with Natsu's constant wailing. The hour was late and they didn't even know if they were even on their way back to the inn. The thought of not sleeping in a bed made Jellal all the more weary.

"I said let me go!" Natsu yelled again as he tried to gnaw at the rope.

"Would you keep it down all ready?" Gajeel grumbled. "You're constant whining is starting to get really annoying."

"I have to go save Lucy and the others," Natsu shouted as he finally managed to slip his teeth around part of the rope.

"We told you already," Jellal sighed. "The girls are being taken to Mila, if you want to find them that's going to be the best place to look. And we can head there in the morning after a good nights sleep."

"How can I sleep knowing that Lucy is in the hands of those monsters?" Natsu shouted. "I have to go save her. I won't be able to sleep at night unless I know that Lucy and the others are safe!"

"There's nothing we can do until we get to Mila," Jellal told him. "And they should be there either tomorrow or in a few days. Our best chance is to sit back and wait. Gajeel has already assured us that they should be fine, and untouched, so don't get too worried about it."

"Gajeel's a dumbass," Natsu shouted through a full mouth of rope as he nibbled on his bonds.

Gajeel yanked on the rope, strangling Natsu to the point that he lost his mouth grip in his mouth. Jellal glared at the two of them in annoyance, though he said nothing. He began to feel a little better as the inn came into sight, and the thoughts of a warm bed filled his mind.

The next morning Jellal, Natsu and Gajeel made their way down to Mila. They arrived at the large stone gates, jagged wooden pikes jutted out from near the tops of the walls. Two towers stood on either side of a large wooden gate, with two archers standing in position at each post. Though the gates remained open allowing travelers and traders to come into the city. Natsu could see men with carts of hay and goods making their way into the city from the dirt road that lead to it. Some of the men carried slaves with them, a sight hat angered the young Draconan, but he was stayed Jellal.

Though Natsu shook his head as he remembered his primary objective, and that was to find Lucy. He wondered if one of these scumbags were carrying her with them, though none of them seemed to be traveling with women, much less a young noble girl. Natsu hoped that they would get their answers in the city, he was eager to rush in and start demanding questions, though he knew that he had to be patient.

When he first stepped into the city, his thoughts had transferred to a different spectacle as he took in the sight of the city. The long stretch of buildings were constructed of tan stones, and yellow brick. They were poorly built, the bricks were lopsided, the windows were slanted and the wooden molding around the doors were in the midst of decay. The road was made of brick, but they were so uneven that the carts driving on them ricocheted back and forth.

The people didn't appear tin that much better state than the city itself. Their skin was leathery and covered in dirt, with decaying, yellow teeth, and long strands of greasy hair. Natsu had never been to another city, and though this place was bigger than Konvern, and the buildings were so much different than the stone ones he grew up with. The people were tanner than the ones back at Konvern, than again the city was located on a peninsula, and summer sun was brutal.

Jellal led the two of them down the road, passing by the crowds of people who gathered in front of stores and venues. As Jellal walked further and further into the city, they eventually came to the town market place. Both Natsu and Gajeel had to stop for a moment to take it all in. Natsu could have sworn that there were hundreds of people there, with rows of carts covered in fruit, fish and other goods. There were people dressed in exotic clothing and jewelry, while others wore nothing but rags.

For the first time in his life Natsu saw something he had never thought he would live to see. Just beyond the crowds of people in the market, and all the stands, resided the Mila harbor. Stocked with ships that took port at the docks, while sailors and crewman unloaded. Seagulls flew overhead, cawing as they looked for any food they may be able to pick up. His nostrils filled with the scent of the salty ocean as a cool sea breeze blew past him.

He wanted to see it all, he wanted to run around and observe everything the city had to offer; though he remembered the reason why he was there, and that was first and foremost to find Lucy. As he remembered, that he was looking for Lucy, his eyes immediately darted around the market as he tried to see if he could spot any sign of the blonde girl.

"So, where do we start looking?" Gajeel asked as the three of them came to a stop.

"If they are going to try and sell the girls at a high market value, they would most likely not sell them here in the market, but rather go to upper class area of the city," Jellal answered. "Though first thing's first," he said rubbing his chin, peering back at the two of them, "we need to change your clothes."

"Why? What's wrong with them?" Natsu said as he looked at his ragged brown shirt.

"Cause you look like a slave," Gajeel answered.

"I was a slave," Natsu said raising an eyebrow.

"Either way, we need to get you guys some new clothes, but then again so do I," Jellal said as he realized that his own clothes were tattered and torn.

"So, easy solution. We find some upper class citizens, beat the crap out of them and take their clothes," Gajeel suggested.

"Don't be stupid, that'll never work," Natsu snorted. "We should just rob a shop. It will be easier and faster."

"What is wrong with you two?" Jellal sighed rubbing his forehead. "We should just buy clothes."

"And how do you plan on us paying for these clothes?" Gajeel asked folding his arms across his chest.

Jellal pulled out his small bag of gold coins to see how much money he had left, though he knew that after the night at the inn, he probably didn't even have enough to buy himself a commoner's outfit, let alone enough to purchase enough for all three of them. He sighed to himself as he realized that they were probably right. He put his pouch back into his coat pocket as he told them that they were right, and asked them what they should do.

"Leave it to me," Gajeel said with a sly grin.

Natsu and Jellal stood near the back of the docks, sitting on barrels as they watched sailors carry their cargo back and forth to their ships. Natsu and Jellal waited for Gajeel to bring them a change of clothes, hopefully something that would be suitable to wear. As they sat there, Jellal noticed a particular man that stood out amongst the others in the crowd. He was a tanned skinned man with long spikey chocolate brown hair. He had one distinctive trait about him; a long scar that sealed his right eye shut. He walked by talking to another young man, or woman, or something, Jellal couldn't quite figure it out. All he knew was that the young man was wearing earrings, and had make up on.

The two of them stood near the far end of the docks, in an isolated location. They weren't being too discrete; after all, slave trading was legal in Mila. Jellal could see that the one with makeup and earrings had a furious look in his eyes.

"Cobra, where is you envoy with the noble women you promised me?" the young man asked. "They were due to arrive today, and so far I have yet to see anything from you or them. My father is going to go insane if he doesn't get the luxuries that he was promised. You understand that we already have clients lined up that are waiting patiently for the slave women they were promised?"

"I understand you and your father's frustration, Midnight. I haven't received a pigeon from them since they told me about their cargo, but I did hear from other sources that Magnolia soldiers were seen traveling with three noble looking woman exactly the same as the ones described to me by my convoy. Unfortunately, it seems that they must have been taken by the Magnolia soldiers," Cobra answered.

"Well, my father will not be okay with that, and neither will the men we promised the virgin noble women to," Midnight spat angrily.

"I'm sorry, but if it's true that Magnolian soldiers did take the women, than we can't do anything about it," Cobra told him. "Just explain the situation."

"Explain the situation? Literally thousands of gold coins that could have been in my pocket were just whisked away by Magnolian scum, and you tell me that all I need to do is explain the situation? You should have handled this situation better, we gave the chance to escape your own servitude, but it seems that you Draconans are nothing more than pathetic trash," Midnight hissed. "You had one job, and you couldn't even do something so simple as overseeing a convoy. Maybe my father can overlook this mistake but I doubt it."

"Fine," Cobra grumbled.

With that, Jellal watched as Midnight stormed away leaving Cobra alone near the base of the docks. The other young man growled to himself as he too stormed off, only this time he walked in the direction of the market, disappearing into the crowd. Jeallal made sure to keep an eye on him, but he soon lost track after of him once Cobra had weaved his way into the sea of bodies.

After about a half hour of waiting they spotted the black haired teen as he walked towards them, garnering a new outfit of his very own: a black vest and tan baggy pants. Over his shoulder rested a bag, which they assumed held their new clothes.

"So, what did you get?" Natsu asked as he jumped down from his barrel.

"Here," Gajeel said pulling out a purple vest, and cream-colored pants before handing them over to Natsu. He reached in pulled out a crumpled up blue cloak, white shirt and blue pants for Jellal.

Jellal took them and eyed the clothes skeptically. They weren't robes for a noble, but then again, he was trying to be discrete when traveling. They would do for now, but he hoped that they could fine some better clothes in the future. Natsu seemed a bit excited though, his eyes lit up as he held his brand new attire up in front of his eyes. Right then and there, he almost stripped out of his old clothes and into his new ones, but Jellal caught him just as he was pulling down his pants.

Once the three of them had changed clothes, Jellal told the two of them to find a hotel and meet him back in that spot in a couple of hours. When asked where he was going the boy simply explained that he believed he had a lead to locate where the girls could be, but it was something that he would have to handle alone. He couldn't really trust the two of them to keep their cool in such a delicate situation as this, especially Natsu.

He went the same direction as Cobra, asking some of the people of the stands if they had seen where the young man could have gone. He asked by name, a name that he saw was met with freight and unease. Most people pretended that they didn't know, despite Jellal telling that they were obviously lying. But finally he did meet someone, an elderly merchant, who told him that Cobra liked to drink at a nearby tavern, but that was all he would tell him.

Jellal found the tavern the man was talking about, and he could see that the tavern was what he expected; a run down old place, with moldy floorboards and grimy walls. It was a place for the low lives of the town to hang out and grab a drink. It was one of the places decent folk wouldn't dare enter. Jellal spotted the man he was looking for drinking at the bar, with two empty pints sitting in front of him already as he irritably drained another. Jellal casually walked over and took a seat down next to the other man. Cobra glared at him from the corner of his eye before he returned to his drink.

"Tough day?" Jellal asked as the bartender set down a pint in front of the young noble without him even asking for one.

"What's it to you?" Cobra hissed.

"I can tell, been having a hard day myself," Jellal lied. "I was told that a slave I had ordered and paid for had just been swiped up by some other bidder. Shame too, she was a real beaut, too, probably could have sold her off as some high classy girl to a brothel for some good money, now I got nothing. Man, to think I lost good money because of some bullshit."

"I understand that," Cobra gawked drunkenly. "I just found out that one of my convoys just lost some high class girls. It sucks, this is the first time I finally had the chance to prove myself to my boss, and then those damn Magnolians come and steal them from right underneath me. But it doesn't matter anymore. Not that I want to go discussing my affairs with some stranger, no offense."

"None taken," Jellal said waving it off. "Say, how bout you tell me your story, about these Magnolians, and I buy you another drink. Could cheer me up hearing about how

"Heck, you got yourself a deal there mate," Cobra chuckled, "Well, when I was young I was sold off to be a servant to some family in the upper district. I had worked for them my whole life until recently I was offered a high up position on their bounty staff. I guess you can say I earned their trust, but let's just leave it at that. It's a funny thing though, after finally making it out of servitude, I never thought I see myself as one of the men who sold people back into servitude, even if this was my first time."

"So, what made you change your mind?" Jellal asked. "If you don't mind me asking. Was it money?"

"No," Cobra answered shaking his head. "It's . . . never mind."

"What?" Jellal asked, he was actually a bit intrigued to hear what it was. "Come on, I'll buy you another beer if you tell me."

"I'm just trying to find somebody, an old friend," Cobra answered. "I was hoping that maybe after this one time I would finally get enough money to actually go find her. But, that's all in the past now."

"I see," Jellal said. "And you're confident that it was Magnolian soldiers that took your bounty away?"

"That's what my reconnaissance say," Cobra muttered into his jug. "Those fucking bastards from Magnolia have been taking every opportunity to swipe at our profits!" Cobra shouted as he slammed his mug down on the counter. "Somebody must be telling them inside information about our trade. If I find out who, I'll rip their tongues from their throat and leave 'em bleeding on the ground!" He said menacingly as he glared at Jellal.

"Well then I do not envy that person," Jellal said as he raised his mug.

Makrov wondered through a large white chiseled door, where inside he came upon his study. Standing at the far end of the room, looking out the window at the view of Magnolia stood a young girl with short, shoulder length purple hair and pale skin. She wore a green blouse and a long white skirt. Makrov walked towards her, though his presence did not seem to alert the girl at all.

"Kinana," Makrov said the girl's name quietly. She spun around, with a soft smile across her lips. "It appears that your information about the Oracion Seis's slave trade through the south was correct. Our soldiers just returned home, safe and sound. Needless to say your help in our endevours has been tremendous."

"That's wonderful news, Master," the young girl said. "But please, you saved me from my life of servitude, so it's the least I could do."

"Well, if there's any other information you can tell us, I would be that much more thankful," Makrov said to her.

"I am sorry, Master," Kinana said shaking her head. "That's all I know."

"Well, that's all right," Makrov said smiling widely. "Why don't you get back to the pub, I'm sure Mira could use your help down there. You know how the soldiers can get."

He laughed at the last statement making the girl a bit more cheery as she gazed down at his friendly grin. The young girl giggled as she bowed her head and walked out of the room, thanking him as she left. Makrov watched her as she left before making his way over to the window where she had been waiting for him to hear about what happened.

He stood there for a moment taking in the sight of the city with a deep breath. "Ivan," he said under his breath, "what are you planning?"

**A/N: Wow, sorry this took so long to write guys. Been very busy, with work and family, and my friend's graduation. Tried to get this done quickly, but kept scrapping most of it and doing it over because I just felt like it wasn't good enough, so again sorry.**

**On a side note. A lot of people have mentioned how the start of this story is similar to Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. That's because this was intended to be a crossover, but I changed my mind literally after I posted it. I already had the beginning outlined so I stuck with it. Probably not the best chapter to be mentioning this, but I didn't think I was going to get this much shit for it. Will have the next chapter up ASAP.**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Is She Safe?

After a couple of hours Jellal made his way back to the market, towards the spot he instructed Natsu and Gajeel to wait for him. When he arrived he saw the two teens sitting by waiting for him. They seemed to have gotten along quite well, talking about the girls, and what they would do once they found them. Natsu ultimately realizing he did not know where to go even if he did find Lucy, and Gajeel still wondering why he had tagged along with Natsu and Jellal in the first place. He thought that maybe it had to do with them freeing him, at least the second time around, since the first time was technically Natsu's fault. But when they saw Jellal the two of them leapt to their feet to greet him.

"I have good news," Jellal told him as he walked towards them. "A reliable source has confirmed that the girls were taken from the bandits by Magnolian soldiers. So, we don't have to worry too much about them or how to find them when the time comes."

"So it's simple then," Natsu said without hesitation. "We make our way to Magnolia and find them. Simple as that."

"No, not simple as that," Jellal told him. "We need to go to Niviti first."

"What? Why?" Natsu whined in protest. "Lucy is on her way to Magnolia and we need to get there to save her."

Natsu wasn't too happy to hear that they would have to wait to find the girls. He wanted to find Lucy, and he wanted to get to her as quickly as possible. He remembered that Jellal brought up Nivit before, but the pink haired teen was beginning to grow impatient.

"If Lucy and the others are with Magnolian soldiers than they are in safe hands," Jellal said. "Even if they find out Lucy's true identity, Magnolia is a safe place for her; free of slave trade and honorable soldiers that would never touch a girl of noble birth. No harm will befall any of the girls I can assure you. I should know, I've had my fair share of encounters with soldiers from Magnolia in the past, and their leader, Makrov, is a highly respectable man."

"Still, why are we traveling all the way to Nivit when the girls are in Magnolia," Natsu whined. "It's out of our way."

"Have you forgotten that there is a Draconan child, same as you, that resides in Nivit?" Jellal snapped. "We have to go there to warn them of Duke and Ivan's plans. If we don't, than who knows what will happen. We don't have to worry about the girls for now, as long as they're in Magnolia, the part where we insure that they're safe is over. Now, we have to put all our focus on warning Nivit."

"All right," Natsu sighed in distaste. "So when do we leave for Nivit?"

"Tomorrow, at high noon," Jellal told him. "I have arranged for us to take a ship there. And don't worry," Jellal said as he took a step forward and placed a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder, "sailing is the fastest way to get to Nivit, and the sooner we're done there, the sooner we can head for Magnolia to Lucy and Erza."

"And Levy," Gajeel grumbled biting his fingernails. Both Jellal and Natsu gazed at him quizzically. "What?" he grumbled leering at the two of them. "Have you forgotten that there were three of them when we left Konvern?"

"It's not that," Jellal said shaking his head.

"Yeah, when did you start caring so much for the princess's handmaiden?" Natsu teased.

"I don't," Gajeel scoffed. "She helped me out in the dungeons back in Konvern, and it's because of her I was able to help save your precious princess's life. So maybe you might want to be a bit more considerate of that handmaiden. We all owe her a debt; you, me, Jellal, the princess," Gajeel stood up angrily. "So, maybe we should have as much respect for her as we do the others."

Without uttering another word Gajeel left the two of them behind, frustrated. Both Natsu and Jellal were equally started and confused, as they watched Gajeel walk back to the hotel. Natsu had never seen Gajeel get so frustrated over something before, especially over someone other than himself. He folded his arms across his chest as he wondered what they had said to anger the black haired Draconan so much. Natsu turned to Jellal, his bewildered expression still on his face as the young noble simply shrugged; he was just as confused by the whole scenario as Natsu was.

The next day the three of them made their way to the docks by the harbor. They looked around, seeing nothing more than a crowd of sailors and crewmen bustling around, carrying cargo and traveling to their designated ships. Jellal peered around trying to locate the ship that he was told to meet Cobra at. After a good twenty minutes of wondering they finally managed to spot Cobra standing in front of a small ship at the far end of the docks. It was a weary old vessel that had seen far better days. Jellal looked at it with a bit of disappointment, yet Natsu gazed upon it with splendor. He had never seen a ship before, yet the sight of one made the boy that much more excited to set sail.

"Mystogon," Cobra said as he stepped forward with open arms, "it's good to see you my friend."

"Mystogon?" Natsu asked confusedly as he turned to Jellal.

"It's a fake name I use to hide my identity," Jellal whispered to him. "Believe it or not, as a noble, people tend to remember names, and I didn't feel obliged to give a slave trader mine."

"I see," Natsu said nodding his head. "So then, what's my name?"

"Natsu."

"No, what's my fake name?" Natsu whispered.

"You don't have one."

"Why not?"

"Why do you need one?"

"Well, if you get one than I want one," Natsu whined.

"Fine then come up with one yourself," Jellal sighed.

After Jellal and Natsu's argument, the three of them made their way up the docks towards Cobra. The young man awaited for them eagerly, and once they were in front of him, Cobra held up his hand for them to stop. Cobra eyed both Gajeel and Natsu carefully, more so with a sinister glare, trying to determine whether or not he could trust the two of them. But after a few moments he looked back up to Jellal, a snide smirk across his lips.

Both Natsu and Gajeel leered back. The black haired Draconan folded his arms across his chest, not allowing himself to be stared down by a complete stranger. Natsu just kept his eyes on the man. There was something about him that he didn't like, but at the same time, there was something about him that seemed familiar. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the boy had a strange aurora about him that felt similar to Natsu, Gajeels and the other two dragon boys he met in the castle tower.

"So, these two are the companions you were telling me about?" he said as his eyes fell back onto Natsu. "Good to meet ya," he said extending his hand to Natsu, to which the boy took it in his own and shook it.

"That's Natsu, and I'm Gajeel," the black haired Draconan grunted, as he extended his own hand forward.

"Well, good to meet you two," Cobra said placing his hands in his pockets before walking up the boardwalk to the ship. "All right, let's get ready to set sail everyone!" he shouted.

Natsu glared over at Gajeel, a bit annoyed that the black haired boy had ruined his chances of coming up with his own name. Now Cobra knew who he was. Though the black haired Draconan just shrugged it off and followed Cobra up the boardwalk. Natsu was just about to shout at him, but he felt himself being pulled back by Jellal who had an annoyed glare in his eye.

"Could you guys not fight until after we take off?" he sighed irritably. "That way we don't get thrown off before we even have a chance to set sail?"

"Fine," Natsu grumbled.

Both he and Jellal made their way up to the brink of the ship, stepping on board. It was a rather large ship, with two masses with egg white sails that frolicked in the breeze, waiting to be carried out by the brush of the sea air. A top the mass waved a gray flag with the gold embroidery of Oracion Seis. Though other than that, it looked like any other ship.

Natsu took a few steps on board before he felt an overwhelming sense of nausea overtake him as he collapsed to the ground.

"What's wrong with you?" Jellal asked as he peered back at the young man.

"I feel," Natsu gulped, "I feel sick."

"That's just sea sickness," Jellal told him. "You'll get over it soon."

"Oh," Natsu gulped as he fell face first to the floor boards, "kill me now."

Jellal just rolled his eyes as he continued to walk towards the cabins to get situated when he noticed that Gajeel was also lying face down on the deck, sulking in a sickly manner similar to Natsu. Crewmen and sailors walked by laughing at the two of them, shouting taunting insults about how the two of them couldn't even handle their sea legs before the ship set sail. Jellal's eyes darted back and forth between the two of them as he rubbed his forehead irritably.

"You have got to be kidding me," Jellal sighed. "This is going to be a long voyage isn't it?"

"Shut . . . shut up," Gajeel grumbled.

"So, what's wrong them?" Cobra asked through a smirk as he raised an eyebrow at Jellal.

"A lot of things, but this is a first," Jellal sighed folding his arms across his chest.

"Well, if they're going to start getting sick tell them to take it over side of the ship," Cobra grumbled. "I don't want my men to be constantly cleaning vomit off the deck."

"I understand," Jellal said as he watched Cobra turned to leave. The young man appeared to be aggravated, but ultimately he was being lenient.

Jellal thought about it for a moment, but reluctantly, he walked over to Gajeel and helped carry the young Draconan down to a cabin to sleep it off. After he had settled Gajeel down, he did the same for Natsu. Both of them were in terrible shape, the worse seasickness Jellal had ever seen, but then again he didn't take too many trips out to sea. But the boys were a pale white, their cheeks flushing a shade of green as they struggled just to breath

Jellal sat there with the two of them, as both of them whined about wanting to be taken off the ship and returning back to land, but Jellal rejected the idea. After all, the ship had set sail and it was only a few day's ride before they got to Nivit. It was more important to insure the safety of the Draconan child than it was for the two of them to not feel sick, at least that's what Jellal told them. He knew they couldn't allow Duke and Ivan to get their hands on the young boy or girl, otherwise who knows what could happen.

Lucy had to admit, she was having the most fun she had in a long time. She couldn't remember the last time she was surrounded by so many friendly faces and welcoming people, not since she was just a small girl visting the lake with Natsu and Gildarts. The last place she visiting was where Mira decided to leave her and Levy. She sat at a booth with a large, muscular, grizzly man with long white hair that turned out to be Mira's brother, Elfman. Next to him sat a young girl around Lucy's age that had short white hair that turned out to be Mira's younger sister, Lisanna. On the other side of Elfman was a woman with long amber hair, green eyes and glasses named Evergreen. It wasn't until they were ten minutes into their conversation that she soon discovered that Elfman and Evergreen were married.

Even Levy and Erza were getting in on the fun. Erza spent her time conversing with the soldiers that drank at the bar, while Levy sat next to Lucy. The group talked about the city, Lucy wanting to learn everything about Magnolia. She asked about what sites she should visit, whether she and Levy should visit the beach, and everything. They talked for hours, and even Gray was there drinking at the bar, but mostly kept to himself.

Gildarts watched from his seat as he noticed his daughter was drinking heavily again. No big surprise really. By now the young girl could probably out drink her father. In a way he was proud of her, though he knew that perhaps he should be conscious about her habit. But, as long as she wasn't doing anything rash or embarrassing, he would just let her be herself. But now, it was getting late, as he watched the sun set through the windows from above, while Kinana walked about the pub lighting torches and candles that laid throughout the room.

Cana managed to slip away from her father, and sluggishly made her way over to the table where Lucy and the others were sitting. She grabbed a bottle of wine that was sitting on counter before she slugged her way over. Gildarts hadn't noticed her as his attention was focused on watching the young Kinana. When he finally turned back around, he noticed that Cana was gone, but by then it was too late.

"Hey, so you're Lucy right?" Cana said as she slammed her hand on the table, startling everyone. "My father's told me so much about you," she said with a drunken smile. Lucy was a bit nervous around this girl, but she was more curious as to who this new girl was. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Uhm, who are you are?" Lucy asked as she stared at Cana with a blank stare. Cana gazed at her with a wide smirk, giggling to herself as she took a swig of wine from the bottle.

"The names Cana," she laughed. "I'm Gildart's daughter."

"Daughter?!" Lucy gasped perplexed as her eyes went wide. Everyone else at the table just chuckled to themselves. "I didn't know that Gildart's had a daughter."

"Yeah, well," she said sliding into the seat next to the blonde, shoving Levy over; the small girl scowling at her as she did so, "it was kind of a recent thing. But I've heard so much about you and your friend Natsu. And speaking of the Natsu, where is he?" Her eyes peering around the pub half expecting to spot a new face belonging to a young man she hadn't met before. Though she grew disappointed when she couldn't find a man fitting that description.

"Natsu isn't with us," Lucy sighed.

"We got split up in Konvern," Levy continued for the blonde, seeing how distraught Lucy had become. "Unfortunately, we don't know what happened to the others. There was also another member of our group, Gajeel, who captured and taken away by the same slave traders Gray saved us from.

"Oh, well sorry to hear that," she hiccupped before taking another chug of wine. "I heard that you and Natsu were really close. And I mean really close." A sly smirk slid across her lips as she winked at Lucy.

Elfman just shook his head, as did Evergreen, neither of them approving. The two of them knew that Cana enjoyed teasing and picking on people at the pub, usually when she's drunk, and right now they could see that Lucy was getting a bit embarrassed by it all. Though they knew she meant no harm by it, they could see that Lucy was starting to get a bit nervous. Lisana wanted to say something to stop Cana, but she was enjoying watching Lucy get all flustered too much.

"Yeah, we were good friends," Lucy said shyly, as a light blush crossed her cheeks. She bit her lip as she turned her eyes away from the drunk brunette.

"Just friends eh?" Cana teased, leaning so close to Lucy that Levy was being squished into the seat cushion behind her. Cana was only inches away from Lucy's face as she took another swig of her bottle. "That's not what I heard. I heard you two were closer than just friends. Like," she began to kiss the top of the bottle, a gesture that utterly humiliated the blonde. Cana couldn't help but laugh at herself as she choked down another mouthful of wine.

"So, who's Natsu?" Lisanna said slyly as she leaned forward towards Lucy. She had the same expression as Cana in her eyes that made Lucy get a bit more flustered.

"Her lover apparently," Cana said as she fell back to her own seat. Levy gasped for a breath of air as she was finally freed.

"What?! No, it's nothing like that!" Lucy said trying to wave it off.

"What are you talking about Miss Lucy?" Levy teased as she too garnered a sinister smirk. "I caught you and Natsu exchanging kisses back in Konvern."

"Levy!" Lucy yelped in embarrassment, but that only made the young handmaiden's smirk grow even wider.

Lucy could feel her face flushing to a deep crimson red as she buried herself in her hands. She knew that they were right, but the mere fact they were teasing her was too much for her to bear. She could hear everyone around the table giggling, that was all except Elfman who just watched in amusement. She could see Levy laughing out of the corner of her eye, and though she wanted to be upset, she couldn't help but laugh herself.

"So, kissing," Lisanna chuckled as she rested her cheek on the palm of her hand. "You two must be serious. Was he the one that gave you that dragon pennant around your neck as well?"

Lucy looked down, realizing that she was clutching onto the necklace Natsu had given her when they were younger. It always brought her comfort, and she hadn't even noticed that she was caressing it in her palm. At this point it was just a force of habit, yet it still brought a certain amount of solace to the young girl.

"Yes he did," she said smiling at Lisanna. "It was a gift from a very long time ago."

"Ah," Lisanna moaned, "how cute."

Lucy blushed a bit more as she watched the white haired girl giggling at her. She smiled to herself as she let the pennant drop back into her bosom. Levy could see Lucy becoming a bit more comfortable as she nudged her friend with her elbow, grinning widely at her.

"So, have you two sealed the deal yet?" Cana asked.

"What?" Lucy asked confused by the question.

"Have the two of you slept together yet?" Cana muttered as the sly smirk returned to her lips.

Lucy felt her heart stop beating in her chest as her face returned to the same crimson red even darker than it was before. She didn't know how to answer that question, though the more accurate thing to say was that she didn't know if she wanted to respond to that question at all. She stuttered nervously, darting her eyes away from everyone while Levy scowled at Cana knowing that such a question was inappropriate to be asking the blonde. Though she had to admit, she was kind of curious herself. Even Lisanna and the others at the table stared at Lucy with earnest interest. Lucy could see everyone staring at her from the corner of her eye, the sight of which just made the girl that much more uncomfortable.

"Cana, what did I tell you about being nice?" Gildarts said as he folded his arms across his chest leering down at his daughter with an annoyed glare. She smiled at him awkwardly, pretending to be innocent. She was far to drunk to even sit up right and had to catch herself from tumbling over in her seat.

"I'm being nice," Cana pouted.

Gildarts stared her down, as he could see Lucy was still blushing like mad. He sighed to himself as he scratched the back of his head. He wasn't really sure how to deal with situations like this. Soldiers and combat he could handle, but women were another breed entirely. He guessed there were just some things men were not meant to understand in this world, and teenage girls were one of them.

"You know, it's getting late," Evergreen interjected finally breaking the tension. "Why don't you girls go home? In fact, I think we all should."

"Good idea, come on Lisanna," Elfman said as he followed his wife out of the booth, brushing past Gildarts. Lisanna sighed, she wanted to stay a bit longer, but she sighed as she too left the table, leaving Lucy and Levy alone with Cana. "You guys have a good night."

"See you tomorrow, Cana," Lisanna said, smiling as she followed her brother and sister-in-law. "I hope to see you and Levy around more too, Lucy. It's been fun."

"Yeah, I hope so too," Lucy stuttered nervously. She was still feeling a bit mortified by Cana's question, though her face had regained some of it's normal color by now. "You guys have a good night."

"Well come on then princess," Cana said grabbing Lucy's hand and pulling her out of the booth. "Let's get you home then."

"W-w-wait," Lucy cried as Cana pushed her way pass Gildarts.

"Wait for me," Levy called after them as she rushed up from her seat.

Erza turned around as she heard the sudden commotion arise from behind her. Upon seeing Lucy being dragged away by Cana, and Levy's desperate run after them, she sighed to herself, placed her mug down on the table and followed them as well. She ran after them, making sure that she caught up just as they walked through the pub's door.

Gildarts exhaled a deep breath as he fell down into the booth seat where the girls were sitting. He rubbed his forehead knowing that he should have done something to stop Cana from dragging Lucy away. He shook his head wondering what he was going to do about the trouble his daughter was starting. He knew she didn't do it out of spite, or to be mean spirited. It was just eh way she was, and ultimately he had to admit it was something that he loved about her. Even though it did cause him headaches.

"Is everything all right Gildarts?" he heard Kinana ask as the barmaid walked by holding an empty platter at her waist.

"Not sure," Gildarts groaned, opening an eye to see the purple haired girl standing over him. A look of worry dawned on her face. "

* * *

Meanwhile, Konvern was in disarray. Duke dealt with the struggles of trying to maintain control of the kingdom. The people were already plotting against him, and he knew it. If it was not for Ivan's control over the other nobles, chaos would have erupted throughout the land. His numbers from Konvern soldiers were already thin, and many had even decided to desert their post claiming they do not serve him and would never bow to the man that extinguished the true king.

He sat in his chambers pondering what he should do about the whole situation. He thought that maybe once his soldiers arrived he would force the deserters into submission, but Ivan advised against it. According to him, all Duke needed to do was wait for his armies to arrive. There were still a good amount of soldiers that remained, though it was about half the original amount. He could still use them to enlarge his own military units.

He was growing impatient, his army still had not arrived from his home country yet, and he wanted nothing more than to march onto Nivit. It would be a great way for him to release some of the bottle up anger he had stored deep down in his gut. That and he had grown more and more infuriated when he had learned that they had allied with Magnolia, and a couple other nations, during a council meeting. There were even rumors that they were going to strike him first; wipe out his fleet before they even had a chance to get organized, but so far there had not been any hostilities just yet.

His advisors kept pestering him about why he was so eager to invade Nivit, and ultimately he did not have an answer for them. He knew that there was the Draconan child there, one of the dragon children that he could use militarily. Though his council advised him not pursuing going after the girl. They had emphasized that Konvern and Junelle may not be prepared for all out war just yet. And truth be told, he was starting to believe them.

Duke grunted to himself as he collapsed into his council chair that overlooked the forest of the kingdom. He rubbed his temples as he stared out the window. It was in that moment that Ivan entered through the doorway, a large sly grin on his lips as he greeted the young king.

"Your Grace," he said holding his arms up high, "how are you this morning?"

"How do you think I am?" Duke spat as he stood up out of his chair, knocking it over. "I have half the country that wants to oust me, barely any soldiers, and an economy that went down the shitter all in one day because of the damn slave rebellion!"

"You need to relax," Ivan told him. "When your armies arrive than you can make your move. Nivit won't be easy to sack, especially not when they have the support of several other kingdoms behind them."

"Yet even with all those other kingdoms supporting them, they won't be able to resist my military advance," Duke chuckled. "But answer me this Ivan. Why are you so focused on taking Nivit? I understand that it is closer, it has good resources and there is a dragon child there, but so what? What difference would it make?"

"Ah, I see," Ivan said with a grin, though deep down he couldn't help but think the young king was just a fool, "well allow me to explain. We had four of the five known dragon children in our hands," he said holding up an open palm to Duke. "Now we have none," he closed it into a ball, letting his hand drop to the side. "You understand the power that a dragon posses? These children are the closest we have to a weapon of similar strength. They could eradicate armies if give the chance, and as long as they're not within our control, they pose a threat. Especially to you and your conquest."

"Well that's a good point," Duke admitted. "Do we know where they are currently?"

"Other than the Nivit child, the two other boys we had locked in the tower have moved out West," Ivan said rubbing his chin. "All I've heard is that two young men have been traveling around ransacking almost every town the go through. Some say they were breathing fire; one with blonde hair, the other black. So, easy to assume it's them. Unfortunately," Ivan grunted, "nobodies been able to follow them, and now I have no idea where they could be. But it seems that they'll stay out of our way if any conflict arises."

"And what of Natsu, Jellal or Lucy?" Duke said, hissing the names as they slid off of his tongue. "Have you heard any word about them?"

"No, no I haven't," Ivan said shaking his head.

"Damn," Duke cursed under his breath as he looked away.

"Well, your Grace, I must be getting back to work, I just came by to inform you that your army is only about a week away at this point; maybe closer. There is no other news other than that to report," Ivan told him.

"Thank you Ivan," Duke said as he stood up and walked over to the window. "If that's everything than you can go. I know you have your own matters dealing with this filth of a country, I don't need to delay you any further."

"Thank you, your Grace," Ivan said bowing his head.

With that he took his leave, exiting out of the chamber. Standing outside near the door, wearing his black cloak was Kurohebi. Ivan said nothing to him as he continued to walk down the stone corridor. Kurohebi sighed as he followed his master.

"What did you tell him?" Kurohebi asked.

"Nothing," Ivan answered, keeping his eyes forward. "At least nothing important."

"Nothing about the princess?" Kurohebi asked.

"No, of course not," Ivan murmured. He stopped for a brief moment, as Kurohebi stopped right behind him. The cloaked man raising an eyebrow as he watched Ivan took in a deep breath. In a startling instant, Ivan wrapped his hand around Kurohebi's neck and pinned him against the wall. "It seems that my friends at Oracion Seis are completely unreliable. I told them precisely where they could pick up the girl and they completely blow it. How could you let this happen?" Ivan growled as he clutched his fingers tightly around his subordinate's neck.

"I'm sorry my Lord," Kurohebi wheezed. "I did precisely as you instructed. It was the Magnolia soldiers. They were the ones that saved the girl. I led them to the spot and they had the girl in hand. I am sorry my Lord."

"You pitiful fool," Ivan snarled as he threw Kurohebi to the ground, releasing his grip. The man wheezed, grasping at his throat as he stared at the enraged Ivan with a pleading gaze. "As long as Lucy is still alive and unsoiled she still posses a threat. The people of Konvern love her, even the dirty peasants. She's the entire reason why the country refuses to bow down to Duke. And that is putting a pretty big damper on our plans."

"I am sorry my Lord," Kurohebit begged. "What do you want me to do?"

Ivan leaned down, glowering at Kurohebi. "I want you to go to Magnolia, I want you to insure that our plans can continue onwards _without_ any problems. Is that clear?"

"Ye- yes, my Lord," Kurohebi squeaked, his eyes still wide with freight.

"Good," Ivan snarled, standing back up to his feet. "Now get going, I have work to do."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The First Kiss & Fifth Dragon

It was back when they were thirteen; back in the spring, during a time where King Jude was visiting Junellle. Lucy was left alone for the next couple of weeks. She didn't mind, it meant that she would have the opportunity to spend more time with Natsu. And just like they always did, the two of them were busy playing by the lake and climbing up the tree. Though after a couple hours of horseplay, the two of them sat down by the bank of the lake.

Natsu had noticed that the girl seemed to be growing a bit shy around him lately. Unknown to him, Lucy was beginning to grow more and more fond of him. Though when she was younger there was something about Natsu that attracted her to the boy, but now she was beginning to get feelings for him. At first she thought them to just be concern for their friendship, and though she tried to deny it, she was ultimately falling in love with him.

As they sat by the lake as Natsu munched on some apples that Gildarts had brought over with him for the day. Though Gildarts was busy taking a nap under the tree. Lucy nibbled on hers as she watched Natsu out of the corner of her eye, as the boy practically engulfed his snack. Natsu remained completely oblivious to the fact that Lucy was watching him intently.

Natsu took in a deep breath before he fell back into the grass. He closed his eyes, letting his face soak up the sun. Lucy peered down at him as she hugged her knees to her chest. She decided to lie down as well, only she rested her head on the pink haired boy's shoulder. Natsu looked down at her through an open eye, a bit confused by her gesture. He could feel his face blush as he watch the blonde girl snuggled up to him.

Lucy found herself falling asleep to the rhythm of Natsu's heartbeat as she lay on his chest. She found it strange that it provided her some comfort and soothed her. Slowly her eyelids became heavy as she started to dream about the two of them sitting there by the lake, their hands interlocked. She looked out onto the water, as the two of them sat there, isolated in their own world. She did not know what over took her, but the girl found herself leaning forward, and closer and closer her lips were just about to touch his when she was suddenly stirred awake.

She shot up hastily, recollecting where she was. She was still in a daze as she looked around. As her vision began to clear she soon realized that she was still by the lake, Natsu lying down next to her. The slave boy had also fallen asleep, and had rolled over to his side facing her. It was his sudden movement that had roused her awake, but she didn't mind. She couldn't have been asleep for more than a few minutes anyways.

"Natsu," Lucy said softly.

The boy didn't respond, he was still fast asleep in his own little dream world. Lucy just smiled to herself, thinking about how cute the boy looked. She shook her head telling herself she shouldn't think of such nonsense, even if she did find herself infatuated with him.

She thought back to her dream, about how the two of them were so close to kissing. The thought of it made her face blush a bright shade of cerise. She giggled to herself as she began imagining what it would be like if the two of them actually did kiss. She had never kissed a boy before, at least not one romantically or one the lips. She wondered what it would be like. She wondered if it would be like in the stories she read about where the hero and the damsel exchanged passionate kisses of love. Then she began to wonder if Natsu had ever been kissed. It was unlikely, the boy was a slave after all, but how could she know? Curiosity overtook her as she wanted to find out.

"Natsu," Lucy said, making sure to keep her voice down so as not to wake Gildarts. However, the boy remained unstirred. "Natsu," Lucy said a little bit louder, but made sure not to speak to loud. "Natsu," she said once more as she shook the boy's shoulder.

"Yeah?" Natsu groaned still half asleep.

"I have a question I want to ask you," Lucy told him.

"Can't it wait?" Natsu moaned as she turned away from her.

"Please?" Lucy pleaded.

Natsu figured that the sooner he answered her question the sooner he could go back to sleep. "Okay, what is it?" he asked, still lying on his side with his eyes closed.

"Have you . . ." she hesitated biting her lip, "have you ever kissed someone?"

"What?" Natsu asked shooting up, though he was still half asleep. He rubbed his eyes as he peered back at the girl. "What's a kiss? Does it hurt?"

"No," Lucy giggled. "A kiss is when two people who really like each other do something together."

"What do they do?" Natsu asked, a bit intrigued, but still sleepily.

"They touch their lips together," Lucy told him.

"What?!" Natsu cried. "That's disgusting. Why would people do something like that?"

"Because it's romantic," Lucy glowered.

"Sounds sick to me," Natsu said rolling over to his side.

"So, have you ever kissed someone before?" Lucy asked again.

"What? No," Natsu said shaking his head. He found himself blushing a bit in his cheeks as she hugged his legs to his chest. "I've never kissed anyone before. Why do you ask?"

"No reason in particular," Lucy said faintly as she looked back out onto the lake. She could see two ducks, one male the other female, swimming together in the center of the water. She looked down giggling to herself. "Is there someone you would want to kiss?" She looked back up at him with a seductive eye.

Natsu thought about the question for a moment, though he wondered what would poses people to do something so revolting. He really did not know how to answer it. He thought he had seen people in the town do something like that, men and woman. He always thought it was some weird customary greeting. He began to wonder what it would be like to kiss someone, the idea of it made his shutter.

He looked back to Lucy, her cheeks flushed as she stared at him with puppy dog eyes. Natsu could feel his heart race as he imagined himself kissing her. The idea didn't appear all that bad, and he had to admit he was starting to find some weird attraction to the girl now. Something he had never really felt before, as he could feel a stinging warmth that rushed from his heart up to his own cheeks. He couldn't believe how cute Lucy looked in that one moment.

"Well, maybe there is," he said staring into her mesmerizing chocolate eyes.

Lucy leaned in closer to him, her eyes falling onto Natsu's lips. Just like in her dream, something was drawing her closer. The boy found himself retracting away from her, but at the same time he wanted to move in closer as well. Both their hearts raced at an immense speed Natsu, even in training Natsu had never experienced such a rush. Lucy closed her eyes moving closer and closer until she found her lips touching Natsu's.

The boy's eyes went wide as he realized what was happening. The touch of Lucy's soft lips against his sent a shutter up his spine. It was wet, but sweet as he felt something click within him. Lucy felt it too, she had never kissed someone before, but for her it felt just right. She couldn't explain it, but she liked it and wanted more. Natsu's heart may have been racing, but he found his eyes closing as he pushed in to deepen the kiss before Lucy broke away, leaving the two of them gasping for air. Her face was a deep scarlet red as she looked away from him, a silly smile on her face as she giggled to herself. Natsu stared at her blankly, still feeling her touch.

"Lucy?" Natsu said quietly.

"Yeah?" Lucy giggled.

"Can we do that again?" Natsu asked.

Lucy bit her lip, blushing frantically. "Sure," she said nodding her head as she leaned back in for another.

* * *

A week had gone by: a week of pure misery and biliousness for Natsu and Gajeel. It didn't matter how long they were out at sea, the two of them never seemed to get used to the travel. The boys spent most of their time in bed, hardly managing to eat any food. Jellal was just as stuck as the other two boys, most of his time was spent occupying the cabin watching over them. Though most other times he stretched his legs on deck or when he went to dine with the crew.

It was early in the morning when Cobra made his way down into the low cabins where Natsu, Gajeel and Jellal were sleeping. He banged on the side of the wall yelling a good morning to them to stir them awake. Gajeel groaned as he fell back asleep while Natsu seemed to be unmoved by the sudden commotion. However, Jellal nearly fell out of his cot as he blinked his eyes open, rubbing them to regain consciousness.

"What is it?" Jellal moaned as his head fell back on to his pillow.

"We just spotted Nivit," Cobra said grinning. "Time for you boys to rise and shine. We should be making port within the hour."

"That's good," Jellal yawned as he fell back to sleep.

Cobra frowned as he stared at the three of them. He folded his arms across his chest glowering before he moved over to their cots. He peered down at the now unconscious Jellal before he grabbed the side of his bed and flipped him over to the ground.

Jellal let out a loud cry as he hit the wooden floor with a loud thump. "Hey!" he yelled at Cobra as the young man made his way over to Gajeel and Natsu's cot and did the same. Gajeel roared in anger as he face planted onto the floor, lifting his head up in anger. Natsu on the other hand still lay motionless, snoring loudly as he was unshaken.

"Get moving," Cobra said as he walked out of the cabin.

Jellal sighed as he sluggishly stood back up. Every muscle in his body was still asleep as he forced his way back up to his feet. He made his way up to the deck, where he saw Cobra standing near the front of the ship talking to another crewman. His new friend seemed to be a bit hostile towards the sailor, but that was no surprise to Jellal. Cobra had been a bit stern with his men since the first day of the voyage, but none of them appeared to get all that angry with his behavior.

A heavy fog blanketed the surface of the sea, and nearly consumed the ship itself. Though it wasn't thick enough that distorted the entire view. Jellal could see the outline of the city just in front of him; a wall of trees enclosed cliffs of brown rock further in land. There was a beach that lined the bay while large, jagged rocks outlined the sides of the bay. Within the confines of the cliff there was a large river that led further into the land, surrounded by trees. Though they had to go up a large river to the city.

Jellal made his way over to Cobra, still a bit shaky from being unable to wake up. As he walked over Cobra dismissed the crewman and leaned forward onto the railing. "Hey," Jellal said as he walked up behind Cobra. "So, how much longer until we reach the city?"

"I already told you, about an hour," Cobra sighed scratching the back of his head.

"Oh yeah, forgot," Jellal exhaled deeply as he joined Cobra on the railing. "Man it's taken far too long for us to get here. I'm just glad we finally made it."

"What about your friends?" Cobra asked.

"Oh, trust me, Natsu will be the most happy of any of us to have reached Nivit," Jellal told him.

"Why's that?" Cobra asked smirking. "Let me guess; a woman right?"

"Yeah, something like that," Jellal chuckled. "But isn't it always though?"

"Ah yes," Cobra sighed, "women make us men do some pretty stupid things sometimes, don't they?" He rubbed the top of his forehead chuckling to himself. "Maybe that's why I do what I do. I don't know." He shook his head taking in a deep breath.

"I understand that feeling all too well," Jellal told him.

The two of them stood their in silence, only the sound of men working and the gentle caress of the sea and the gawk of seagulls flying in the air could be heard. The smell of sea air filled Jellal's lungs, and though he had been on the ship for the week he never really enjoyed it until that moment, and now all for not. The sea breeze brought a cold sensation through his spine causing him to shiver in place. Though it was chilly it still brought him some ease.

"So, any special ladies in your life my friend?" Cobra asked, finally breaking the silence. He turned to Jellal raising an eyebrow at him.

Jellal laughed to himself nervously as he scratched the back of his head. Cobra was eyeing him carefully. The image of Erza flashed in his mind, causing him to smile to himself. It was in that moment that a sharp stinging pain radiated through his heart as he began to realize just how much he missed Erza.

"Yeah, I guess you can say that. What about you?" Jellal asked.

Cobra took a deep breath as he stood upright. "Her name is Kinana, or was. I don't' even know anymore. But not a day goes by when I don't think about her. Her wonderful smile, her compassionate gaze and gentle touch. If it weren't for her, I don't know," he shrugged, "I probably be dead by now. All I know is that I have to find her, no matter the cost."

"Even your soul?" Jellal asked him.

Jellal realized he had blurted out what he had been thinking. Considering the men Cobra worked for, the business that he was running, and the fact that it was men under his orders that tried to snatch and take away the girls, he at first looked at his young counter part as a soulless bastard. It was only in the week that he got to know Cobra that he discovered the young man was not as bad as he appeared. A desperate man in a desperate situation trying to find someone he cared about. Though to Jellal, it meant that Cobra had already sold his soul in the process.

Cobra glowered at Jellal with a cold stare, but it soon faded to a melancholy sigh. "She is my soul," Cobra said softly. An answer Jellal had not been expecting from a man such as Cobra.

"You know I never would have taken you for a romantic, Cobra," Jellal teased, as Cobra slapped Jellal's shoulder.

"Don't think me weak for a second, Mystogon," Cobra threatened. "You may be my friend now, but cross me and I will have no problem slitting your throat and leaving you to the buzzards."

"Of course not, wouldn't dream of it," Jellal answered.

Meanwhile, down in the cabin Gajeel was busy trying to get what sleep he could in his cot, but the brightness of the sun leaking in from the windows on top with Natsu's snoring stopped him. Though he was too tired to even move. The only thing going through his mind was how the hell Natsu could lie there, on the hard wood and still be asleep.

"Hm, Lucy," Natsu murmured in his sleep. "Taste so good."

"Idiot," Gajeel shook his head before collapsing on the ground. He still hadn't gotten over his seasickness yet. It seemed that the only way he or Natsu could escape it was in their sleep. He made his way over to the sleeping teenager before grumpily kicking Natsu in the side.

"Hey!" Natsu cried as he was sprung awake. "What'd you do that for?" He leapt to his feet as he shoved his face his face into Gajeel's, growling at the other Draconan.

"To get you up you idiot," Gajeel grumbled staggering away from Natsu. "We're about to arrive at Nivit."

"Yeah well I—" Natsu couldn't finished as he collapsed to the ground, nauseated. "Well, the sooner we get onto the land the better."

It wasn't long before the ship finally made it's way into port. Both Natsu and Gajeel jumped from the hull of the ship down onto the dock before the planks were laid out. Jellal stood next to Cobra, sighing in annoyance to himself as he watched the two stand up, finally complacent to be back on something that wasn't moving. Natsu inhaled a breath of fresh air as it seemed all the nausea just melted away. Gajeel felt the same as the two of them began to stretch their legs after staying cramped up on that ship for so long.

"It seems like they've gotten better all of a sudden," Cobra said watching the two Draconans skeptically.

"Yep," Jellal sighed shaking his head. A couple of men tied the ship to the dock as a plank was lowered allowing for the crew to make their way off. "Thanks again for the lift," Jellal thanked him as the two of them walked down the plank to the boardwalk. "Perhaps our paths may cross again some day."

"I hope that as well Mystogon," Cobra said extending his hand. Jellal took it in his as the two men parted ways.

Unlike Mila, Nivit was completely different. There were trees, ivy, and brush that covered the brick and stone buildings. The city itself was enveloped in the wild woods. The buildings themselves were designed with a native, tribal design with wooden roofs. The local people of Nivit were tanned skinned with dark hair and eyes. For the most part they wore leather tribal attire, some of them had tattoos and face paint.

Though the majority of the people that stayed around the docks were clearly not from the city. Most people came into the city to barter and trade, and unlike the locals, most of them had paler skin and wore the standard attire of their homelands. Though deeper into the city is where most of the locals resided and kept to their own business if they weren't visiting the market.

Natsu and Gajeel followed Jellal as he led them through the city until they came upon a large round building that was covered in ivory near the heart of the city. Trees, wildflowers and bushes lined a flagstone pathway to the large chestnut door. Standing in front of it were two armed guards, holding long pikes. They wore standard Nivit battle attire, which was nothing more than long tanned leather pants, a vest of beads and war paint on their faces, but they still remained stern at their post.

As Jellal walked up to them, the two of them clanged their pikes together, barring the young noble from the door.

"What is your business here?" one of the guards asked.

"The Lord of Nivit does not have time for some commoners, as he is vey busy and his time valuable. So state your business or get lost," the second guard said.

"I am Jellal Fernandez of Junelle, son of Faust former Hand to the King," Jellal told them.

The two guards exchanged glances of doubt as the first guard stepped forward. "You expect us to believe that you are Jellal Fernandez," the first guard said skeptically. "You look like nothing more than common street trash. How about you get out of here before we get violent?"

Jellal looked down realizing that he was not dressed in any elegant outfit, that would distinguish himself from the common folk.

"Listen, please," Jellal told him.

"Get lost," the guard snarled shoving Jellal away with his pike.

"Hey," Natsu shouted as he stepped between Natsu and the guard.

"Get lost boy or I'll have you gutted," the guard threatened.

Natsu felt a strong heat consume him as he could feel the same rush over take him as the guard appeared to moving in slow motion. The man was moving the pike up in the air ready to strike the young Draconan. Without flinching Natsu grabbed the end of the pike and shoved the guard back, hard into the door as the man toppled over. The second guard rushed forward, enraged by the boy's sudden outburst as he drew his pike up.

Natsu did not move to avoid the oncoming blow. There was no need for him to as Gajeel stepped in the way as he grabbed the spear head with his hand. The guard blinked at him, startled by the Draconan boys abrupt appearance, but more so by Gajeel being unfazed by grasping the blade. Gajeel smirked as he flung the man over to the side and into the bushes.

The first guard cried out to the other guards as a swarm of guards in similar uniforms came running onto the scene. Natsu and Gajeel could feel themselves overwhelmed as their hands formed into a claw while scales outlined their bodies. The guards surrounded the three of them with their weapons extended. Natsu and Gajeel eyed them carefully, while Jellal tried to hold the two of them back.

The guards moved in closer, as the guards slowly trudged towards them. Natsu and Gajeel were just about to prepare for combat before a loud, ragged voice shouted for the guards to stop.

The men stared at one another bewildered, but they complied to their order as the retracted their weapons, but they would not budge. Natsu found his eyes wondering around wandering what it was that stopped the guards from advancing. He could feel the heat of his body recede into his body as he returned back to normal, just like Gajeel.

Jellal pushed them aside as Natsu noticed a small, old man walking towards them. He was a frail old man with long gray eyebrows and beard that seemed to connect to one another. He had dark eyes that looked as though they were chiseled over a firm stone nose. He wore a head dress of purple feathers with red tips and a marking on his forehead.

"I am Roubaul," he said introducing himself. "Leader of Nivit. Who are you boys and why do you come to my country causing trouble?"

"Lord Roubaul," Jellal said stepping forward. "I am Jellal Fernandez of Junelle. We are here because—"

Jellal was cut off as Roubaul held up his hand. "Jellal?" the old man said as he eyed the young noble carefully. He stepped closer to the young man to get a better look. He was only about half the young man's size but he still stood with a firm stature. "Jellal!" the man cried happily as he embraced the young noble in a hug. "It's been far too long."

Natsu and Gajeel were as equally bewildered as the other guards as everyone stared in confusion. The only ones that didn't seem baffled were Jellal and the old man, who were too busy showing their friendship towards one another to mind the rest of the crowd. Natsu looked over at Gajeel as the black haired Draconan just shrugged at him. Natsu began to wonder how these two knew each other and where they had met before. He would make sure to have Jellal explain everything to him later.

"Come, come," Roubaul beckoned, as he motioned the boys to follow him. The guards were still as confused as they were when Robaul first showed up but he just smiled and waved them off. "It's okay everyone, they're friends," he said as the three of them walked through the entryway.

The three boys followed Robaul down a large corridor made of stone. It was unique in that it was decorated with wooden pillars that were carved with spiral shapes and fake leaves. Along the stone walls hung tribal paintings of weird designs of multiple colors and of various places in nature. Torches lit the way, providing most of the light inside, but for Natsu it was straggly dark, with almost no widows. After walking down the hallway they finally entered into a chamber with a large wooden chair where the Lord of Nivit took his seat. The old man grabbed a mug of ale at a table that was standing near the chair.

Natsu found it interesting that it was already set up yet there were no servants or slaves around. It was eerie to be standing in there yet there were torch lights that hung along similar wooden pillars around the encircled perimeter, there was a sun roof above them that allowed the room to be filled with natural light. What stuck out to Natsu even more was the lack of guards present to protect their lord. The four of them were alone in that wide chamber.

"So, Jellal, what brings you back to Nivit?" Robaul asked taking a sip of beer.

"My Lord," Jellal said stepping forward. "While I was in Konvern with King Duke, I overheard a plan between him and the former right hand of King Jude talking about a potential invasion of Nivit."

"I figured that they would do something like that, is there any time frame as to when they will invade?" Robaul asked.

"My Lord, they're planning to invade as soon as Duke's armies arrive in Konvern, which they might already have," Jellal told him. "Though they say that they plan on invading due to capture a Draconan child that lives here in Nivit. My Lord do you know of such a child?"

"This is disturbing," Robaul sighed as he rubbed his chin. "I do know of such a child. But my people will defend her. We are protected here in Nivit. Our walls are tall and thick, and our soldiers well trained. We may be a peaceful people, but we are just as well trained as any other army in the land."

"Where is this child?" Jellal asked. "My Lord, that child is in danger. Without help you cannot withstand a full frontal attack by King Duke."

"Wendy!" Robaul shouted.

Jellal and the others waited as they heard the pitter-patter of footsteps echoing from one of the side hallways. They turned to watch as a young twelve-year-old girl appeared from the hallway. She was an adorable little girl with long cobalt blue hair and gleaming dark eyes. She had a soft, sweet gentle smile that dazzled like the first, blooming flowers of spring. She wore a long yellow and white stripped sundress that delicate blanketed her bony frame. She came to an abrupt stop as soon as she was in view and spotted the three strangers standing in front of Robaul.

"Jellal?" she said as she stared at the young man. "Jellal!" she cried as she ran over and jumped into young man's arms. He snuggled her head into the young noble's chest as he spun her around, the two of them giggling with excitement.

"Did I miss something?" Gajeel grumbled.

"Apparently the two of them know one another," Natsu said baffled.

"My, how much you've grown," Jellal said as he placed the girl. "How have you been Wendy?"

"I've been great!" Wendy said with a beaming smile. "It's wonderful to see you again!" It was in that moment she remembered that she was not alone with Jellal. She looked back at Natsu and Gajeel recoiling behind the young noble, as her smile faded into a shy pout, as she recoiled behind Jellal under the gaze of the two other boys. "Who are your friends?" she said in a hushed tone.

"Wendy, these men are Natsu and Gajeel. They're friends of mine," Jellal told her reassuringly.

"Natsu?" the girl said in a quiet voice. "Natsu!" she said again more excitedly as she ran over to the pink haired teen. Her eyes flashed in amazement as she stared up at Natsu making the boy a bit uneasy. "You mean Natsu, the Dragon of Konvern? I heard about you, you're a Draconan too right?"

"I am," Natsu chuckled with pride as he leaned over to show her the tattoo on his forearm. The girl's face lit up as she lifted her own arm up to reveal that she had a similar marking on her arm as well. "And so is Gajeel." He pointed at the other Draconan, but Gajeel seemed not to care so much. He just wanted to finish their business and find something to eat.

"Really?" the girl said excitedly. "I didn't know that there were others."

"Wendy," Robault told her. "Why don't you go play with Natsu and Gajeel while I talk to Jellal about something, okay?"

"Yes Master," the girl said as she took Natsu's hand and dragged him away. However, Gajeel did not follow, instead he made his way back to the exit.

"Where are you going?" Jellal called out to him.

"To the nearest tavern," Gajeel shouted back. "I ain't playing with no little girl like some kind of nanny. Come get me when your business is done. In the meantime I'm going to get something to eat and drink."

Jellal sighed as he let Gajeel go. He turned back to Robault who appeared to be incredibly distraught. "Jellal, this news is indeed disturbing. I think we need to discuss the best course of action regarding Wendy."

"I agree sir," Jellal said, nodding his head. "I have traveled a very long distance to see you, and we have much to discuss."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Moving On

The day had finally come as Ivan made his way swiftly down one of the dark stone corridors before entering King Duke's personal chambers. When he opened the doors he found the young lord sitting in his chair, staring out the window lost in thought.

"What is it Ivan?" Duke mumbled through shallow breath as he kept his eyes a gaze out into the forested wilderness below.

"Your Grace," Ivan said in a tone of splendor. "Your army has just arrived outside the city and they are ready to greet you at your command."

"Finally, a bit of good news," Duke sighed as he stood upright from his seat. His eyes lingered on Ivan for a bit, as the older noble could see that the gray dullness that had filled the young king's eyes. He was not the same as he had been before, something was changing him, like he appeared more hollow and empty. In a quick pace he glided past Ivan as he made his way down the hallway. "Sound the guards and prepare the men, we ride out immediately. I can't stand another minute in this shit hole."

It didn't take more than a couple of hours, King Duke was dressed in his own kingly armor, including the insignia of his home country inscribed on his breastplate. A green cap dangled off of his shoulders, as well as green ribbons and braids along his gauntlets. A helmet fashioned to look like a stag's head with iron antlers was placed upon his crown.

Ivan sat on a horse adjacent to the young king. However, he did not wear any armor, or any battle gear. Instead he wore his same purple noble robes as he had always done. He was not a soldier, nor did he plan on engaging in any of the military conflict that he knew was going to arise. Instead, he would continue to serve as advisor to the king, and only as an advisor.

When Duke was finally dressed he rode out to area in which his army was waiting for him. He came upon a hill and looked down into the once barren grassy basin to see ten thousand, armed and ready soldiers standing in the field awaiting his command. The banners of the Junelle kingdom hung and blew in the wind as far as the eye could see, until they appeared to be nothing more than green stick in the distance. Rows of men stood in companies of twenty at attention.

"Your army, your Grace," Ivan said as he waved his hand in admiration at the sight of such a mass group of men.

"How many do you plan on using to invade Nirvit?" Duke asked in a monotone voice.

The young king peered out, never realizing just how vast his army was. He had heard, but this is the first time he had seen such a surplus amount of men. They were lined up as far as the eye could see. Ivan frowned a bit as he could see the nonchalant glimmer in the young king's eye. He didn't understand why the king didn't seem as enthusiastic as himself.

"Over ten thousand, your Grace," Ivan told him. "The others I have ordered to be stationed around the country to guard it from any potential attacks from outside forces, while also wrangling in whatever other Konvern soldiers we can find."

"Very good," Duke said grimly. "Well Lord Ivan, high ho, high ho, it's off to war we go." He sang before he kicked his horse and began to gallop west raising his banner as the thousands of lined men began to follow him forward. Ivan followed right behind him until the two of them were out in front with the soldiers marching behind.

* * *

After his long talk with Robaul Jellal set out to find Natsu. He made his way out to the courtyard and garden area near the back of the fortress where he figured he would find the teenaged Draconan along with the young girl as well. Sure enough, as he exited the building and walked out into the sweltering sun of the summer, he spotted Natsu with Wendy out in the middle of the grass as the young girl handed the boy a bundle of flowers.

The courtyard was decorated with flagstone tiles that encircled a large grass center that contained the fortress's garden. A variety of flowers ranging from tulips, to roses, to sunflowers grew at the heart, while bushes and trees were used to outline pathways for people to walk through and admire. Near the center is where Natsu and Wendy stood as Jellel promptly made his way over towards them.

"Natsu!" Jellal called out as soon as he stepped onto the dirt pathway.

The pink haired boy looked up as he heard his name called seeing Jellal swiftly approaching him. The smile that was once beaming on the young Draconan's face had dwindled away as he could see a depressed and sorrowful glare in Jellal's eyes. He knew something had to be wrong as he let his arms sag down.

Wendy was just as curious and worried as she too wondered what the young noble wanted. But she did not say a word, as Jellal's eyes were fixated on the pink haired teen in front of her.

"Jellal?" Natsu said as Jellal glided towards him.

"Natsu we need to talk," Jellal told him before his eyes fell on the young Wendy. He could see the look of worry in the child's eyes as he offered her a friendly smile to calm her. "In private please Wendy?"

"Oh, okay," the girl said softly as she ran away. She sprinted behind one of the numerous pillars and hid behind it hoping to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Natsu asked.

"As King Robaul and I were talking we overheard news that King Duke's army just set out from Konvern and are on their way here now," Jellal told him. "And unfortunately nobody planned on this happening so fast. Robaul had already sent word to his allies asking for help, but none of them will be able to make it in time before the ensuing invasion."

"So what does that mean?" Natsu asked, vexed as he heard the news. "Are you saying that Nirvit will have to face Duke's armies alone?"

"No," Jellal said shaking his head. "Robaul plan's on surrendering Nirvit, when they arrive if he doesn't receive any help."

"So what about Wendy?" Natsu exclaimed. "Will she be all right, or does Robaul plan on handing her over to Duke as well? Cause if they need us to stay behind, I'm more than itching for a fight," Natsu said cracking his knuckles as a delighted grin unfolded across his lips.

"Nothing like that," Jellal said waving the suggestion off. "He wants to send Wendy away to somewhere she'll be safe. I suggested Magnolia, and ultimately Robaul agreed." Jellal bit his lip before he continued speaking. "The condition is we have to take her their ourselves."

"Okay, when?" Natsu asked folding his arms across his chest.

"Tomorrow."

"What?" Natsu cried. "Why so early? We never spent more than a day in any of the town we visited and all we've done is travel. Can't we just take a couple of days to rest first?"

"We don't' have time," Jellal snapped. "Every day we waste Duke draws closer to Nirvit and who knows if they've already sent someone to scout and find the girl. The best thing for us to do is to move out as soon as possible and insure that she is kept safe."

"All right," Natsu sighed in defeat. "But I don't like." He said as his same old, wide toothy grin sprouted from his lips. "So, what are we going to be traveling with some of her personal guards?"

"No," Jellal said shaking his head. "No, we don't want to look suspicious, there are plenty of spies running around out there in the wilderness, as well as bandits. And besides Robaul knows of the rumors that have been going around about you, and I think you, me and Gajeel are more than capable of protecting her on our own anyways."

"Makes sense," Natsu exhaled through a deep breath. "Well, I'm hungry," he said as though he had completely forgotten about their entire conversation, "let's go find Gajeel and grab something to eat."

Wendy continued to watch on as she tried to hear what the two men were talking about. Unfortunately, she couldn't hear them all that much, except that her name was mentioned. She began to worry, and grow more and more concerned about what was going to happen to her. She liked Natsu having spent a few hours with him, he appeared to be kind enough, and though it was many years ago, she remembered the kind deeds that Jellal had done for her when she was very young.

The next morning Natsu, Jellal and Gajeel met Robaul and Wendy at Robaul's private stable near the center of Nirvit. Someplace isolated from the rest of the streets, located near the military barracks where civilians were not allowed to wonder through. However, the old man and young girl were not alone. Behind them stood a unit of guards each of them holding three suits of chain mail and other supplies. Wendy herself was dressed in a gray cloak, the hood of which was already draped over her small head, with strands of her dark blue hair crawling it's way along her shoulders.

Though her eyes were veiled by the top part of her cloak, he could see the troubled look on the girl's face. He could tell she was scared, not so much them, but of the unknown. She remained quiet as Robaul stepped forward with the guards behind him

"It's going to dangerous out there, young lord," he said as he beckoned his guard forward. "I know it's not much, but please take this chainmail with some new garments for your journey. I know they're not much but they're the least I could do for you troubles."

Three of the guards stepped forward, each of them handing over chainmail folded with the boy's new outfits. Natsu removed his rags, standing stark naked. Gajeel and Jellal did the same, stripping the clothes they had been wearing ever since they left Mila. Jellal had completely forgotten that he had not changed his clothes since Gajeel 'acquired' them back in the slave market. He hadn't realized just how filthy he appeared. He even wondered how Robaul was able to notice him when they first met.

Natsu had never put on chainmail before and eyed it skeptically before another guard walked over and helped him. They fastened them, and tightened them around the boy's frame. After they had done that, they then placed a red brigandines over him, along with polished greaves, gauntlets and gorgets. On his hip, a sword was tied to the brigandines with a red belt..

Gajeel and Jellal were dressed in the same outfit, only Gajeel's brigandines was black and Jellal's white. However, the rest of Jellal's armor was not steel in color like his counterparts, but instead they were a cobalt blue. The two of them were given swords as well, only Gajeel's was silver and Jellal's gold.

"Thank you Lord Robaul," Jellal said bowing his head once he was dressed. "How can we ever repay you for such armor?"

"Do not worry young lord," Robaul said waving the gratitude off. "Your protection of my child is all that I need. And besides, those were just some spare armor we had lying around so think nothing of it."

Though Natsu couldn't help but admire himself. Of course there had to be some adjusting, but the size was still incredibly close to his own body frame. He wondered how they managed to size him up so well, but that was nothing. He had never worn armor before, and for the first time in his life he felt a bit distinguished. Was this what knights and soldiers felt all the time? All he knew was that he liked it.

"Pretty good fit," Gajeel said flexing his arm as he peered down at his gauntlet.

"Yes, well I am a good judge when it comes to sizing people up," Robaul laughed. Natsu had just noticed that Robaul was holding the small girl in his arms as he spoke. He could see a single tear fall down the girls cheek as she buried her head into the old man's chest. "Well, we shouldn't waste anymore time," he sighed as he finally separated from the girl. He knelt down so that he was eye level with her. "Wendy, these men will protect you, but I promise you, you will be safe."

"I don't want to go though," the girl cried in protest. "Master, I want to stay here with you, in Nirvit. This is my home."

"Wendy," the old man sighed as he whipped away a tear from cheek, "you are the most precious thing in my life. You are more important to me than all the gold and treasure in the world. None of that could ever be worth more than the smile on your face. Not a day goes by where I don't thank the gods for bringing you into my life. Each day, watching you grow up has been a blessing to me. That is why you must go, so that I know that you will be safe. If not for you, for me, please my child I must know that no harm will befall you."

"O-okay," the girl sobbed as she chocked back some more tears. "I'll go for you, Master."

Without another word she was lifted up onto a horse by one of the guards, as Natsu and the others were given their own steeds. A couple of guards got on their own horses, just to follow them out of the city before they went off on their journey. Robaul waved his had to them as he watched them exit through the stable doors and out onto the cobble stone streets of Nirvit.

* * *

Meanwhile in Magnolia, Lucy and the girls were just getting used to the town. For the young princess, it almost felt like she had lived there her entire life, and Konvern was nothing more than a hallow memory in the dark recesses of her mind, like a nightmare that had long since past, yet stays etched in the memory. She had new, and more exciting friends to enjoy her time with. Though she could not forget Natsu, as the necklace around her neck constantly reminded her of the boy she loved, but had not seen in a couple of weeks.

She had grown bored over the past couple of days, though she did enjoy spending her time wondering the city, visiting new shops, even though she couldn't afford to buy anything anymore, and visiting the beach. She didn't know what else to do with her time. The other night she brought her dilemma with Mira who suggested the girl get a hobby. But she wondered what she could do, though Mira suggested she write down the things that interested her, which turned out to be something she rather enjoyed. Writing.

So now she spent some of her free time in front of her desk, writing out stories. She wrote about her childhood with Natsu and Gildarts, but she made sure to change the names of the characters so as not to arouse suspicion from anybody. Though she didn't really need to, since she didn't expect anyone apart from her to ever read these stories. But what was great was how they brought back fond memories, back to times when things were simpler and she hadn't lost her home and family.

It was still in the middle of the afternoon. She had grown bored with wondering around the town, and it was still too early to visit all her friends at the pub. It was during this time that she enjoyed just sitting back, relaxing and writing at her desk with the door open, allowing the fresh breeze of the cold sea air to drift in from the outside. It was nice to just sit in her room by herself sometimes, and she never got tired of the view from her bedroom.

She continued to write, hearing a commotion of the front door opening and being slammed shut. She figured it must have been Erza or Levy returning from doing some errands, so she paid it no mind. Instead she continued her own story, writing about her childhood when she could her the footsteps of someone approaching her room. The footstep drew near, as who ever was behind her staggered forward.

A loud bang of a hand smashing against the hard wood nearly made the young princess leap from her seat, as she peered up at her visitor with a frightened gaze.

"How's it going Lucy?" Cana said as she grinned widely as she leaned over the other girl's shoulder. "What'd you writing there?" Without asking permission Cana yanked the paper from the desk

"Hey!" Lucy shouted in protest as she reached for the paper, only to have her face held back by Cana's hand. The older girl began to read it, giggling to herself as her eyes wondered through the page. Lucy could feel her face flush as she grew ever more embarrassed by Cana's persistence.

"Ah how cute," Cana snickered, "is this about you and Natsu?"

"No," Lucy said, finally managing to snatch the paper from Cana's hand. Her face lit up a deep crimson red. "It's just a story I was writing. It has nothing to do with Natsu."

"Oh, don't think I'm a fool princess," Cana said leaning closer into Lucy, causing the young blonde to become even more uncomfortable. "I had my father tell me all about you and little Natsu," she said poking Lucy's nose. "I know everything about you two."

"Fine," Lucy snapped as she turned back to her desk feverishly, "it's about Natsu. Back when we were kids living in Konvern."

"So, you really do love him don't you," Cana teased.

"Y-yeah," she sighed admittedly. She hoped that it would be enough to suffice the girl's curiosity. "I guess you can say that," Lucy said blushing slightly as a small smile crept across her lips.

"So, you never answered my question from before," Cana sighed as she stood back up. "Have you and him ever, you know, done the dirty deed?"

Lucy could feel her face blush to a deeper shade of red as she tried to ignore the question. Though her hand became too jittery for her to continue writing. However, Cana was not about to give up her pursuit on the matter, a gesture which boggled Lucy's mind. She didn't understand why the other girl was so persistent to pry the information from her.

"Come on, you love him don't you," Cana said.

"Yes," Lucy grumbled as she felt Cana pressing up against her.

"Then," she said emphasizing the length of the word, much to Lucy's annoyance, "why haven't you two been together?"

"Because we couldn't be together," Lucy finally snapped. "He and I . . . were from two different worlds. Even if I wanted to, and I'm not saying that I do, but if I wanted to, I couldn't."

"Well, now there's nothing stopping you when you see him again," Cana chuckled. Lucy peered up at her with a distasteful glare, but not before the older girl grabbed her hand and pulled her from her seat.

"Cana!" Lucy shouted as the brunette threw the blonde onto her bed nearby. "Cana?" the girl cried again, only to have her arms pinned down as Cana sat on top of her. Lucy's face flushed a deep crimson as Cana leered down at her with a sinister smirk. "What are you doing?" Lucy gasped.

"You are way too stern for your own good princess," Cana said, frowning at the blonde. "If you want to learn how to make love, I'll teach you."

"What?" Lucy squeaked. "Teach me to make love? What are you—"

Lucy was unable to finish her statement as Cana placed a finger over the girls lips, shushing her.

"You want to learn how to please the man you love don't you?" Cana asked, staring into Lucy's dark eyes.

"Yes but—"

Again she was cut off by Cana's finger as the brunette hushed her quiet.

"You really don't know a thing about men do you?" Cana sighed as she leered into Lucy's chocolate colored eyes. "They're actually very simple to understand once you know what you're doing." The blonde turned away embarrassed as Cana broke her grip and used one of her hands to push Lucy's cheek so the girl was looking right back at the brunette. "First rule, never break eye contact, unless you are either kissing or one of you erupts from pleasure. Women might think that the one thing that turns men on the most has something to do with her body, but that's a lie. It all comes from the eyes."

"How do my eyes turn a man on?" she asked, now intrigued by Cana's words.

"Men are selfless lovers," Cana wooed through pursed lips. "But there is a major difference between sex and making love. When a man makes love, nothing arouses him more than bringing pleasure to his woman," she said as she began to gyrate her own hips on top of Lucy's. The blonde blushed feverishly as she attempted to look away, only to have Cana grab her by the chin and force her eyes to lock back onto hers. "He doesn't care about his own needs, because all of his needs are satisfied by the touch of your skin," she said rubbing Lucy's cheek with her finger, "and the sounds of pleasure that erupt from a woman as she is overwhelmed with passion."

"Cana what are you—" Lucy tried to cry out as she felt Cana's hips pressing up against hers. Once again she was hushed by Cana's finger as the girl kept her movements going.

"Everything you feel, everything that swells up inside you are conveyed through your eyes," she moaned. Lucy could see it as Cana smirked slyly at her. She could feel it, a strange warmth overtaking her as she stared deep into Cana's eyes. "You have to take control," Cana told her, "when it comes to making love it's all about you. Trust me, that's all men care about, so as long as you're happy, they are happy."

"So, you're telling me that one of the ways to make him happy, is to take control?" Lucy gasped through heavy breaths. The weight of Cana's hips were pushing the air from her lungs.

"Yes."

This time it was Lucy's turn to smirk as she grabbed Cana by the hips and rolled over so that she was now the one on top. Cana's eyes went wide as she was a bit bewildered by the blonde's sudden actions. Lucy smirked at her as she slid her hands up, causing Cana's body to shiver as she pinned the brunette's hands against the bed. The two of them began to giggle uncontrollably as Lucy leaned in closer to her prey.

"Well look at you princess," Cana said between snickers, "you're finally starting to learn."

"But uhm," Lucy said bitting her lip as a light blush filled her cheeks, "is there anything else you can teach me about making love?"

"Princess?" Cana snickered. "Looks like you are a dirty girl after all."

"Lucy?" a quiet voice peeped from the doorway.

Lucy turned around to see Levy standing at the door, staring at her with wide, bewildered eyes. Without another second wasted, the blonde rolled off of Cana and back onto her feet as she could feel her face blush once more with embarrassment.

"Levy, I . . . we," the blonde stuttered with her words as she tried to come up with an excuse.

"I was teaching Miss Proper how to satisfy a man," Cana blurted out through a fit of laughter as Lucy hid her scarlet red face behind her hands.

"What? Lucy is this true?" she said as she rushed over to the blonde. "You have some nerve," she spat at Cana, "trying to pervert an innocent girl. Have you no shame?"

"Nope," Cana purred as she rested on her stomach, hugging one of Lucy's pillow tightly to her bosom.

Levy leered at the brunette with disgust as she grabbed Lucy's hands. She could see the girl was still beside herself with mortification.

"What's going on in here?" Erza asked as she stepped inside inside the room with a fierce scowl across her lips. Her eyes darted from Cana to Lucy and Levy and back.

She folded her arms across the laced red silk dress that covered her bosom. Though she felt like she should wear her armor, Lucy insisted that she wear something more casual to fit in and draw less attention to them. She had to admit that to some degree she kind of liked wearing nice clothes that bought her feminine features, though she wanted to stay true to her identity as a knight. At least she latched her sword to a girdle she had hidden underneath her dress. That way, she could still appear normal while having the means to protect the princess.

"Cana was trying to do something perverted to Lucy," Levy growled as she held the blonde's hands in her own. Lucy seemed to regain her normal color after awhile, though she still felt a bit flustered.

"What kind of perversion?" Erza demanded.

"The kind that I think you could use as well," Cana said winking at the red head. This time it was Erza who was blushing.

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about," she gawked flabbergasted by the brunette's insinuation.

"Oh, don't you?" Cana said teasingly as she rose to her feet. "I heard all about your _boyfriend_ Jellal."

"Jellal is not my boyfriend!" Erza snapped as her face flushed to a deep shade of crimson. "He's just an old friend who is also the nobleman that I serve. There's nothing between us."

Cana peered down at Erza's chest as she began to pat on Erza's breast with an open palm. The red head's eyes went wide as she clamped her hands down and turned away from Cana.

"What are you doing?" she exclaimed as she glared at the brunette.

"Well, you're not completely wrong when you say that there's nothing between you and Jellal," Cana sighed.

Erza's mouth went agape. "How dare you! I have lovely and exquisite . . ." she stopped herself, as she looked back down at her own breasts, " . . . features . . ." she finally answered. "That any man would love."

"Oh please," Cana sighed rolling her eyes. "You're too rigid. If anyone here needs some help when it comes to behaving like a woman, it's you. I mean, how else do you plan on seducing Jellal?"

"I don't want to seduce Jellal!" Erza cried mortified.

"Not like that you're not," Cana said as she grabbed the red head by the arms, and in a fluid motion of spinning around she hurdled Erza onto the bed. "I think it's time I taught you how to actually behave like a real woman."

**A/N: Wow, I am really, really sorry this chapter took so long. Had so much stuff that just kept piling up on me for the past two weeks. Work and a lot of family stuff that just coming up and even some more stuff that might make this process a bit slower. So once again I apologize and I will upload every chapter as soon as I possibly can.**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Old Friends?

After a day of traveling, Duke's army decided to set up camp in the open fields for the night. A rather large tent was raised up in the heart of the camp that was set up for the young king and his company. Luxurious rugs and furs were laid on the ground as banners of Junelle hung on the fabric walls. A large mahogany table sat in the center with a large map resided on the top of it. Twenty men in armor and silk capes stood around as Duke stood at the head of the table with Ivan by his side.

As soon as the meeting was done the rest of the men left the tent, leaving Duke and Ivan behind. Duke for the most part was tired; he bid Ivan a good night before he too left for the evening. Ivan stood there in the tent alone, waiting until he was sure that no one else was going to come back before he sat down. He began to hum to himself closing his eyes. He could feel a gust of wind blow by him, as the flaps of the tent shook violently.

When Ivan opened his eyes there was a dark figure standing in front of him, a man hidden behind a dark, black cloak. The tattered ends swaying in the wind, as his face was engulfed in the shadow of his hood. His entire person was concealed behind the black veil, as a foul odor was omitted from him. A stagnant smell that caused Ivan's noise to scrounge up.

"You summoned me, Ivan?" the black figure croaked. His voice like dry sand blowing in the desert, yet cold as tundras.

"Yes, I did—"

"Do not speak my name Ivan," the figure said in a blood curling shrill as he held out his hand to stop the noble. "Tell me what it is you want from me this time and I shall see what I can do. That is, if the price is right."

Ivan looked up at the cloaked man, feeling a cool breeze blow through him, like ice crystals forming in his veins.

Ivan reached into his pocket and tossed out a sack of coins. He peered back up at the black cloaked figure, who had just glided over to the part of the table where the bag was tossed. As he came closer, a frosty gust seemed to go along with him, as Ivan felt the blood in his vein start to crystalize. The black figured picked the bag up, twirling it in his hand before opening it. He poured out some gold coins into his open palm, staring at the glistening metal before ultimately tossing them back at Ivan.

"Do not think me so shallow as to expect gold as payment for what you seek?" he hissed raising a bony, black finger. "I have plenty of gold in case you have forgotten."

Ivan recoiled as the figured drew closer to him, his black cloak fluttered violently with each and every step he took, but to Ivan it looked like his visitor was floating in the air. The horrible stench grew that much fouler as he saw a centipede crawl out from the sleeve. It curled itself around the black finger before crawling back into the blackness of the man's cloak. The old noble winced as he watched it disappear. It was only then that he noticed spiders and several other bugs began to crawl out from underneath the cloaked figure.

"Well, what is it that you want?" Ivan asked as straight forward as he could, lifting his legs in the air as the spiders and other insects crawled under his chair. He kept his head up, but the chill in the air was soaking deep into his skin. He felt like his own bones were being frosted over.

"Depends on the task," the cloaked man answered with a icy cowl. "Tell me what it is you want, and I will tell you the payment."

"I want you to return the Draconan boys to me. All five of them," Ivan answered, his tone of voice serious and stern. "I need them for my plan."

The cloaked figure cocked his head and laughed a bitter shriek. "Is that all? Ivan, you poor deluded fool. I am not some petty delivery boy who goes out and kidnaps children as they slumber in their cozy beds during the night," the cloaked man answered. "I am a wizard, and a powerful one at that. I control the dragons, and their vast wealth. Do not think me so petty to go out and do some simpleton's job. If you want the children back under your care, than send someone more suited for the task."

"Then can you at least lend me your dragons?" Ivan insisted. "No army could stand against the force of a dragon. We all know that. With them I should be able to crush any of my foes with ease."

"The dragons stay in the Draconan land," the black figured cried. "I only have enough power to restrict them to their own country, but no more than that, for they are beyond even my power. Dragons in their own nature are very powerful magically, and to even control them the way I've had has been no easy task. If I were to break the curse long enough I could never control them again. The results of which could be devastating on this world."

"I never figured you for one that cared about the well-being of the world," Ivan mumbled as his eyes frantically searched around the floor to insure that it was safe for him to place his feet on the ground.

The cloaked man's head snapped forward as he spoke, "Do not mistake my inaction for kindness Ivan," he bellowed. "I have my own reasons for not wanting to see this world scorched to a black wasteland. No man wants to see the world in ruins, at least no man with half a brain in his skull. And I cannot say the same for your king," he hissed as his head reared to the front of the tent. "There's no value in a damaged and ravished world Ivan. Only a fool would assume so much."

"If not gold than what is it that you want?" Ivan asked.

"I have no need for gold or jewels, Ivan," the cloaked man answered. "I have no need for such trivial things for they are nothing more than rock and stone. There are far more important things in this world than treasure."

"Than why take all the Draconan wealth for your own?" Ivan asked perplexed.

"My reasons are my own," the man said waving it off. "But know this Ivan. Magic always, **always**, comes with a price. If you want my help to get what you want, and I know precisely what it is you seek, than contact me when you have something that would interest me. Otherwise, I will not be so polite the next time you decide to summon me."

"Ivan!" a voice called out as Duke reentered the tent. He saw the older noble sitting at the head of the table, his eyes immediately bolting towards the young king's direction. "I've been looking everywhere for you. What are you still doing here?"

Ivan looked back to where the cloaked man had been standing, only to realize that he had vanished. There was nothing left, not the foul odor, not the chill in the air. All trace of him had gone. Ivan just shook his head as he looked back to the young king.

"Sorry," he said standing up. "I was just pondering over some things. There's no need to worry about me. Just got lost daydreaming again."

"All right then, come along, the cooks have just prepared our supper for the evening," he said before leaving.

"Yes, your Grace," Ivan said as he followed him.

"Remember Ivan," he heard a crude voice whisper behind him, "magic always comes with a price. But, will you be willing to pay it when the time comes?"

Ivan whirled around to see nothing but the empty tent behind him. A crackle of a cold howl echoed in his ear as a burst of frosty air struck the older noble causing him to shiver. He wasted no more time before he ran out of the tent after the young king.

* * *

The small company that had just left Nirvit had not been traveling on the road for long, but Natsu could just feel the distraught radiating from Wendy just behind him. She road on her horse behind the other three young men, keeping her head down as she sat slumped over on her saddle. Natsu peered back as he decided to slow down his own horse so that he could ride up next to her. He could see that she was most likely not interested in striking up a conversation with anyone at the current moment, but Natsu thought he should go for it anyways.

"Hey," Natsu asked in a friendly voice as his horse came up by her. He did his best to offer her his most courteous and friendly grin. "Is everything all right?"

Wendy did reply with a word, just a loud sobbing moan. He could see her pouting underneath her hood, but the rest of her face was concealed in the shadow. He could not see her eyes, so Natsu leaned his head down to get a better look. The girl just turned her head away from him, as her lips quivered with sorrow. Natsu figured the girl must still be upset about her sudden departure from her home and family. He understood the feeling all too well, but maybe he could offer her a pair of ears for her to express herself.

"You can talk to me," Natsu said persistantly. "If there's anything you need, anything you want just tell me. I'm more than happy to do it for you."

"I want to go home," the girl whimpered. Natsu could see a single tear fall down her cheek, soaking her soft pale skin.

Natsu bit his lip not knowing how to respond. The girl looked up at him with moist eyes seeping through the shade of her hood. The boy's heart dropped a bit as he had never seen such a sorrowful expression before. He wanted to tell her that they were going to be all right, that everyone was going to be all right, and before she knew it she would be back home in Nirvit with her family once more. Though he could not fathom how long that would take. But ultimately he just did not know what words he could say that would bring the small child some comfort.

"I'm sorry," he sighed, realizing there really wasn't anything that he could say. "But I promise that Jellal and I will take care of you for now. And hopefully soon you'll be able to go back home when there isn't any danger."

"What about him?" Wendy asked pointing toward the black haired Draconan.

"Who Gajeel?" Natsu said raising an eyebrow as he peered at the other teenaged Draconan before looking back at her. "He's useless."

The girl snickered a bit at the remark while Gajeel's ears perked up at the mention of his name. He glared back at Natsu who just smirked slyly at him. Gajeel lifted his fist into the air as it was Jellal's saw him motion from the corner of his eye. He raised an eyebrow at the two teens before shaking his head at the two of them. He slowed his own horse down so that he came between Natsu and Wendy, cutting the boy off from the young girl.

"What are you doing?" Natsu asked befuddled.

"Making sure you don't corrupt the poor girl with anymore of your stupidity," he answered. The young girl giggled at the remark as it was now Natsu's turn to get a bit upset. Gajeel on the other hand continued to stay up in front of the group, not bothering to care about what was going on with the other three behind him.

For the better part of their journey it seemed as though they travelled alone. There was nothing on the road as they passed by acres upon acres of farms comprised of wheat, barely, and various vegetables. There were a few animals that strode by but for the most part there was no one. They made camp as soon as sun began to set; making sure to stay off the road.

The three young men ate their meals of porridge and bread while Wendy sat nearby the fire quiet as a mouse. She sat on a log in front of the fire, her hood still downing her brow despite the night. She hardly even touched her supper as Jellal watched her with a worried gaze. The girl just poked the brown, pussy substance with her spoon while she sat there in solace.

Jellal turned his gaze over to Natsu as the two of them were thinking the same thing. They just didn't know how to cheer the girl up. Gajeel on the other hand scarfed down his meal before rolling over to his side and fell asleep. Jellal walked over and took a seat on the log next to her.

"How are you holding up?" he asked the small girl.

"Okay, I guess," she sighed in a hushed voice. Not looking up at Jellal. She had been melancholy all day, and it was no surprise to him that she was still a bit upset. He hugged her, bringing her in close as she rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes. It wasn't long before she too fell asleep. Jellal stroked the girls hair until he was certain that she had taken to slumber. He waited as Natsu lay down a cot near the fire before Jellal placed her on it.

After that Natsu took to his own bed leaving Jellal alone. The young noble sat there on his own, gazing up at the stars. He began to think about Erza as he hoped that she was okay. Then again he should probably be more concerned for those that were around Erza more so than the girl herself. Though he figured that she should be okay. Knowing that he felt a bit more comfortable and found his own eyes growing a bit heavy. It wasn't long before sleep took him as well.

The next morning Natsu was stirred awake as he felt a foot press up against his hip, shaking him awake. He moaned out loud as he sat up, half expecting it to be Gajeel or Jellal telling him that he needed to hurry up and get ready for them to continue on their travels. To his surprise it was neither of his two companions, but instead a tall man with spikey blonde hair and a scar over his right eye that stood over him.

The man wore a silver suit of armor, along with a cotton top cape that hung loosely around his shoulders. He leered down at Natsu with a scowl as two other men stood behind him: one man with long mossy hair and pale skin, the other covered in armor, but wore a helmet that concealed his face.

"Shit," Natsu cursed under his breath as he stood to his feet. Surprisingly the blonde haired man did not unsheathe his sword, but instead allowed the boy to stand.

Jellal and Wendy were stirred awake by two soldiers who Natsu could only assume were with the blonde haired man. He looked over to where he known Gajeel had gone to sleep only to see that his cot was empty. Natsu grumbled to himself as he half expected that Gajeel just up and left the three of them instead of giving them a warning.

"What's going on here?" Jellal asked, as he was pulled up to his feet by two soldiers. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Doesn't matter," Natsu said as he felt the sudden rush of flame burst within himself. He fond his eyes slitting forward, making his vision that much more clearer, and his fingers slowly morphing into claws. He didn't care who it was, but he was ready for a fight. "If they want a fight, I'll give them a fight."

Wendy clutched onto Jellal's leg, hiding herself behind him as the young noble stepped forward and grabbed Natsu by the shoulder. He knew the boy was more than eager to engage in conflict, but that was something Jellal was hoping to avoid. He couldn't risk doing anything rash while Wendy was with them, even though he knew that the girl could probably take care of herself if the moment called for it. But for now, he much rather insure that everyone leave this confrontation in one piece.

Natsu glared back at him, Jellal shaking his head urging the boy to calm down. Reluctantly, Natsu complied a she hand slowly turned back to normal, as did his eyes. But the burning in the pit of his gut would not go away. That much he kept locked in just in case he had to do something drastic fast.

"Tell me," the blonde haired knight folding his arms over his chest, "what are two foot soldiers from Nirvit doing out here this far away from the city? And traveling with a young girl among things?"

Natsu assumed this man must have been the leader of the group. He did not answer, when it came to diplomacy that was Jellal's department. For Natsu when the time came for him to ravage some people and claw his way out of a bad situation, than that would be the time he was needed. Instead he felt the small hands of Wendy clasp at his elbow as she hid behind him, watching as Jellal approached the blonde knight.

"My name is Jellal, and this is Natsu," he said motioning to the pink haired boy. "We're not from Nirvit, but we are friends of Lord Robaul and we are escorting this girl to Magnolia."

"And who is this girl?" the blonde knight asked as he took a step towards Wendy.

The young girl gasped as she did her best to stay behind Natsu. The boy on the other hand found his burning stagnation growing that much more powerful as he leered at the man before him. Like a dog protecting it's master Natsu stood between the girl and the man without budging an inch. He would not allow any harm to befall her. Fortunately, Jellal managed to step in-between them right before Natsu became violent.

"I don't see how any of that is your business," Natsu hissed.

"Seeing as how you are taking this girl to my country, it is my business," the blonde knight barked back.

"Well I don't see how that matters," Natsu growled.

"That's because you're an idiot," the blonde knight grumbled as he turned back to face Jellal. "My name is Laxus, Captain of the Magnolia Guard and grandson of Makarov. And who exactly are the three of you?"

"As I already said I am Jellal," the young noble answered. "Jellal Fernandes, son of Faust and former Hand of King Duke. This is Natsu of Konvern. Lord Robaul is a friend of mine, he asked me to escort his adopted daughter to Magnolia where she will be kept safe from the oncoming attack by King Duke."

"Jellal Fernandes?" Laxus scoffed in disbelief. "What is a son of such high born class doing out here, dressed is the garments of a common soldier?"

"As I said, I am escorting the Lord's adopted daughter to Magnolia for her own safety. Have you not heard of Duke of Junelle's current affairs?" Jellal asked him.

Laxus took a deep breath as he stared at Natsu and Jellal. "I think we should discuss this in private," he said turning his back to them.

Jellal followed him as Natsu stayed behind with Wendy. He made sure to safeguard the girl as he watched the other soldiers encircle the two of them. Several of them had their pikes and swords directed at him. He snarled, keeping Wendy close. His eyes fell on the mossy hair man who, unlike the others, did not wear a suit of armor, but rather a long maroon, double-breasted coat that reached down to his knees. A large black belt with a golden buckle was tightened around his skinny frame, as well as a sword latched to his waist. His eyes were a greenish-blue color as he leered at Natsu, but otherwise did not say a word.

Meanwhile Jellal and Laxus walked away from the group and did not stop or utter a word until they were out of earshot.

"So, tell me why is it you decided to attack a small group of innocent bystanders as they sleep, Captain of the Magnolian Guard?" Jellal asked as he scowled at Laxus.

"We've been out looking for two teenagers who were rumored to be wondering the western lands causing all kinds of mischief," Laxus answered. "According to our sources, they were two Draconan teenaged males, one with black hair, the other blonde."

"I did not know Magnolia was granted such authority to have jurisdiction in other country's territory?" Jellal said.

"Well, than I guess you did not know that we were given such authority by Nirvit and her neighbors to wonder around the western regions to find the two young men," Laxus snapped back.

"Yeah, well for all you know they went north or south," Jellal retorted. "But that still doesn't answer m question as to why you and your company felt it necessary to attack me and my friends?"

"I wouldn't go so far as to say we attacked you."

"You see those long sticks and pieces of metal with the pointy ends you have aimed at my comrade? Those are called weapons, and generally you direct them at people you don't like, or trust, because it implies a threat. And as I recall, it is neither Magnolia's, nor any country's custom to greet unprotected strangers with such actions. That is unless Magnolia has completely changed her customs since last time I've encountered one of her countrymen?" Jellal said sarcastically.

Laxus leered at him before calling out, "Men lay down your arms. They are harmless." Reluctantly the men did as they were told, but for the most part they did not sheath them. Natsu didn't trust them either way. "Are you happy now?" he grumbled.

"No," Jellal said condescendingly as he shook his head. "That still doesn't explain your actions?"

"Fine," Laxus sighed. "We've been traveling for a week in search of the two Draconans, but unfortunately they seem to have gone. However, we've had heard other rumors about two more Draconans who had escaped from Konvern; one with spikey pink hair, and the other with long black hair. Two of your friends seem to match that description pretty well."

"Shit," Jellal cursed under his breath. "So what do you want with them?"

"Nothing, our only charge was to bring them back to Magnolia, but seeing as how that is the destination of your journey, it would appear that we are in mutual benefits," Laxus answered.

"I think your time would be better spent if you travled to Nirvit," Jellal rebuked. "Lord Robaul is about to be assaulted by King Duke's army any day now. As his ally, you would be better serve there than taking us to a country we are already traveling to."

"I have not heard any word of this from my grandfather," Laxus confessed. "What do you know? How large is the army that Duke sends to Nirvit?"

"I do not know how many men he is bringing with him to Nirvit. All I know is that he now has the combined forces of Konvern and Jean-Luc's men at his whim as well. My guess is that he will bring a few thousand men to Robaul's walls for the assault," Jellal said.

"That is discouraging news," Laxus sighed. "Nevertheless, on my grandfather's honor, and the honor of my country I have no choice but to go and supply them my aid in a time of conflict."

"So, what do you plan on doing with us?" Jellal asked.

Laxus eyed him carefully before looking back up at Natsu and the others. He took a deep breath before he answered. "You are free to go Jellal, you and both your companions. I will see what I can do in Nirvit, but if you see my grandfather can you pass on a message to him for me?"

"Of course."

Natsu watched on from afar as he saw Laxus lean in closer to Jellal, whispering something in his ear. The young noble nodded his head before the two of them turned back and headed to the group. Natsu watched as the two men made their way back in silence.

"Men pack up your things and make ready," Laxus ordered. "We are heading to Nirvit."

"Yes sir," the men said in unison as the sheathed their swords and walked away. The mossy haired man bowed his head accordingly as he led the way for the others.

Natsu and Wendy watched them as they went. Natsu still kept the girl close to him as he glowered at each and every passing soldier. Wendy just breathed a sigh of relief as she began to regain herself after being so worried about their safety. But she was certainly happy to have Natsuj be the one to safeguard her. She had a strong feeling in her heart that she could definitely trust the young dragon. And as long as she was with him, she felt safe.

"Sorry about that," Laxus said as he stepped closer to Natsu, Jellal following right behind him. "You can't be too cautious out in these parts, but I won't do anything to harm you or your friends."

"Whatever," Natsu grumbled.

Laxus just raised an eyebrow and chuckled to himself before he bid the trio a farewell and left with the rest of his men. Natsu made sure to continue to keep a stern eye on all of them, as he watched Laxus jump up onto a horse, as the rest of his men sat on their own steeds awaiting their commander. Without a word Laxus whipped the reigns as his horse took off with his men following swiftly behind him. It was only until they had gone that Natsu had let himself relax a bit.

"So, we should start heading out ourselves as well," Jellal said as he walked over to his own horse. Wendy galloped behind him as she went to her own steed.

"So, what did you two talk about?" Natsu asked as he followed behind them. Jellal busied fixing his gauntlet before turning to the pink haired teen with a cocked eyebrow.

"Nothing important," Jellal answered. "I told him that he should go to Nirvit to help our Robaul, and I told him about our mission. So, he said that he would let us go as long as I delivered a message to his grandfather."

"What's the message?" Natsu asked him.

"I can't tell you that," Jellal answered. "It's private. You understand right?"

"Whatever," Natsu said shrugging it off nonchalantly as he got up on his horse.

The three of them began to ride on their way down the dirt path, the fourth horse being pulled from behind from a rope Jellal fastened to his own saddle. As they made their way further up the road, they soon found themselves coming upon the edge of a small river. There, sitting on the banks, was the black haired Draconan teen who had been missing from earlier.

He sat with his back leaning up against a tree. His ears tweaked as he heard the sound of horse hooves approaching him. He looked up to see his companions riding up the road before standing up and dusting his clothes off.

"Where were you?" Jellal asked with an angry grimace.

"Got up to take a piss, next thing I know you guys get surrounded by a group of soldiers, so I decided that I would just wait for you until you business was settled," Gajeel groaned as he stretched out his back.

"Either way, it would be good for us to get some water and breakfast," Jellal said as he leapt down from his horse. He then turned to Wendy to help her down as well.

As the young noble and the young girl went to fetch water, Natsu made his way over to Gajeel. Gajeel seemed to be watching them closely, waiting for them to be out of earshot before he turned to Natsu. The boy was a taken back as he noticed Gajeel had a very serious glare in his eye.

"What?" Natsu asked.

"You remember Rogue and Sting from Konvern right?" Gajeel asked.

"Yeah?" Natsu said, confused but intrigued.

"Well, let's just say that I didn't actually have to pee this morning."

**A/N: All right, trying to be better when it comes to uploading. Also, I just want to point this out for those of you that don't know this, but any person or any place in this story that has a name was originally a character or country/city from Fairy Tail itself. Yes, that includes Duke and the countries that Natsu and the others have visited.**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Encountering Old Faces

"What do you mean you saw Sting and Rogue?" Natsu blurted out.

"Sh," Gajeel silenced him peering back towards Jellal and Wendy to make sure that they did not over hear the pink haired teen. When he was sure that neither of them had heard anything he continued telling his story to Natsu. "They came to me at the break of dawn this morning. They didn't have much time to talk but what they did tell me was that after they had escaped they set out west hoping to find a safe haven to hide out for a while. Rogue told me that they were getting into a bit of trouble along the way and before they knew it they were being pursued by Magnolia guards and soldiers from some of the western countries.

"Apparently, they were hiding out in Nirvit for a bit when they spotted us getting off a ship. Since then they were following us, when they saw the Magnolian patrol go by. According to Sting, the two of them are going to double back east and head straight for Draconia."

"What do they plan to do in Draconia?" Natsu asked. "Aren't the dragons still there?"

"That's exactly the reason, at least I guess. Nobody travels there because of the dragons, and seeing as how they're sons of dragons, just like us, they think that they'll be able to stay there without much danger," Gajeel answered.

"Well, I guess that means they won't be of any help to us now," Natsu sighed annoyed as he rubbed his hand through his hair.

"We don't know that for sure," Gajeel grumbled. "But at least we know where they're going to be in case we ever need them."

It wasn't long before Jellal and Wendy had finished taking their drink at the river and returned to where the other boys were standing. Jellal furled his eyebrows as the two of them looked a bit suspicious. Jellal stared at them for a brief moment, his eyes darting from one boy to the other. He was about to speak up on the matter but was quickly interrupted as the young Wendy stepped up and asked Natsu if they had anything to eat. Of course Jellal knew that they had packed some food in preparation for their travel, however he didn't have time before Natsu made his way to the river.

Natsu told her not to worry as he walked away. Jellal was going to tell him about their rations, but he was curious about what Natsu was doing. Without removing any of his armor, he plunged into the water, disappearing beneath the surface. The girl began to panic as she ran over to the bank, only to see the pink haired teen reemerge with a large trout in hand. The young girl giggled and clapped her hands as Natsu tossed her the fish. For a moment it scared her as she let out a loud scream as the wailing fish fluttered about on the ground.

Natsu laughed as the girl fell to her hands and knees trying to grasp at the fish, only to have it leap out of her hands every time. She began to grow agitated as a eerie sense began to fester in Natsu. It was only for a brief moment, one that stunned the boy where he stood. The young girl in a fit of annoyance roared a small flicker of flame that burned the fish to a charcoal black before leaving it motionless.

Wendy's eyes went up in shock and horror as she fell down backwards onto the wet grass. She scooted away from the dead fish in a frantic attempt to create some distance between her and the animal she had just charred. She began to breath quick breaths of panic as Natsu jumped out of the water and rushed to her side. He could see just how terrified the young girl was as tears swelled up in her eyes. Natsu was not the only one making a mad dash for the young girl, as Jellal had also begun to rush towards her, sliding on his knees through the grass to her side. Gajeel on the other hand, took his time as he strolled over, not really bothered by the girl's sudden shock.

Tears cascaded down her cheeks, soaking her soft pale skin as Jellal wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. She latched onto his arm, crying into his sleeve as the young noble started to gently brush her hair, doing whatever he could to sooth the young girl. Though his eyes stared over to Natsu who had knelt down in front of Wendy, whipping away the fresh tears that were falling down her now drenched face.

"What happened?" Jellal asked quietly as he could feel Wendy tuck her legs in underneath him.

"She breathed fire for the first time," Natsu told him. "I was just as frightened as she was the first time I did it as well. It's not something that we can do easily. For me it took years of practice before I was able to control it."

"I'm a monster," the young girl whimpered as the tears had stopped running.

"No you're not," Natsu scoffed. "You're just like Gajeel and me; a Draconan child who was born of dragons. It's nothing to be ashamed of, it just makes you special."

"Really?" Wendy said blinking at Natsu. "So, I'm not a monster?"

"Of course not," Jellal said quietly, smiling at her.

"Dumb girl is just overreacting," Gajeel scoffed. "She breaths fire like the rest of us. You think that she would have learned her own abilities by now."

Jellal flashed Gajeel a menacing glare as he could feel Wendy slump in his arms. Gajeel's words only made her feel worse about herself now. Even Natsu was unappeased by Gajeel's sudden outburst.

"Leave her alone," Natsu growled as he stood up and walked so that he was face to face with Gajeel, "don't you remember how hard it was for you when you first found out you could breath fire?"

"It wasn't hard for me," Gajeel snorted as he walked over to the river, shoving Natsu to the side. "I knew what I was and I accepted it. I didn't cry like a weakling because I was afraid of my own powers. I embraced them. The girl just needs to learn to take control over her own emotions."

"How about you leave her alone!" Jellal snapped. "Don't chastise her, she's still young and she's still learning. How about you just keep your thoughts to yourself from now on?"

"Fine," Gajeel sighed as he slumped to the ground. "It's not like I care what you idiots do."

Natsu and the others just ignored the other teen as the pink haired teen plotted a seat down next to Wendy. The girl had calmed down by now, though she still had a bit of terror present in her eyes. She was no longer crying, her tears had all but gone dry, now she just sulked in Jellal's arms as the young noble continued to hold onto her tightly, continuing to stroke her hair. Her moist eyes turned to Natsu as the young teen tilted his head in curiosity at her.

"Natsu?" she asked in a soft melancholy tone.

"Yeah?" the teen asked as he scooted closer to her.

"Can you teach me how to control the fire?" Wendy asked as she stared at him with pleading eyes.

"Of course," Natsu said grinning widely at her.

"Really?" the girl said energetically as her eyes beamed wide. "You'll actually teach me?"

"Yeah, of course," Natsu told her. "We can start right now if you want," he said as he jumped up to his feet.

"Yeah!" the girl cheered as she broke Jellal's grip leaping to her own feet.

The young noble chuckled to himself as he saw how energetic the young girl had become. He had to admit that he was happy to see that she wasn't depressed anymore, but the change in attitude was so drastic he was still stunned by it. He just shook his head as he watched the two of them get hyper about their training just before Natsu started his instruction. He just made his way over to the edge of the wood so he could get a better view of the road.

As Jellal sat there watching them for a good hour he could hear the trotter of horse hooves in the distance. "Natsu, Wendy!" Jellal shouted out to them, causing the two Draconans to come to an abrupt stop. "Someone's coming."

Without another word Natsu grabbed Wendy's hand and rushed further into the wood where he placed her behind a tree. He held up a finger telling her to be quiet. The young girl bit her lip as she nodded her head. She knelt down behind a bush as she turned her eyes over to where Jellal was standing. Gajeel on the other hand stood up and walked over to where Jellal was standing, leaning up against a tree folding his arms across his chest.

As the noise drew closer Jellal could see a fait two figures off in the distance, both of whom were riding on horseback. On one horse there was a familiar face, one that belonged to the same slave trader they met back in Mile, the other was a young woman with long blue hair and eyes. She had pale skin and had a cute face. She wore a long light blue blouse and white skirt. In her hand she held a light blue umbrella with even darker blue hearts etched on.

As they came riding up along the trail as Jellal contemplated whether or not he should go up and say something. Though it didn't matter as Gajeel stepped out from the brush and walked up to them.

"Gajeel," Jellal snapped, only to be ignored by the other man, "Gajeel!"

"Juvia," Gajeel called out as the two horseback riders looked at him.

Natsu snuck his way up to Jellal as he and the noble exchanged looks of confusion. "What's he doing?" Natsu whispered as the two of them kept themselves hidden.

"I don't know," Jellal moaned. "He's always doing something stupid."

"Yeah, I know," Natsu sighed.

"Gajeel," he heard the girl say his name as she blinked at him as the two horses came to a stop. "Gajeel! What are you doing out here? I thought you were imprisoned back in Konvern!"

"Nah," Gajeel answered as he shook his head. "I managed to escape a while back. So, what are you doing out here?"

"We're on our way to Magnolia," Cobra answered cutting off the girl before she had a chance to speak. "And hello to you too by the way. It's good to see you walking around instead of being bedridden." Gajeel just scoffed at him as he folded his arms across his chest. "By the way," Cobra continued, "Where are your comrades; Natu and Mystogon?"

"Oh, them? They're hiding off in the forest back there," Gajeel said pointing behind him.

"Gajeel," Jellal moaned as he face palmed himself. "Well no use now," Jellal sighed as he stood up and walked out. As Natsu stood up Jellal whispered to him, "Make sure they don't find out about Wendy okay?"

"Got ya," Natsu said nodding his head.

"Cobra!" Jellal yelled out to them as he waved his hand. "It's a surprise to see you out here."

"The feeling is mutual," Cobra shouted back. "If you don't mind me asking, what brings you out here?"

"We're on our way to Magnolia," Jellal answered. "What about you?"

"The same," Cobra answered. "What's your business if you don't mind me asking."

"Well that is something that I'm going to have to keep to myself for now," Jellal told him.

"I see," Cobra said nodding his head. "Well me an my companion are heading up that way ourselves. Perhaps you would care to join us?"

"Well, we were traveling on our own, and we don't want to slow you down," Jellal chuckled.

"Nonsense, I insist," Cobra said persistently. "Besides, having no one to talk to but this woman for the rest of the way is going to drive me to insanity."

Jellal found himself in a bind, knowing that Cobra would be persistent in his request. He knew he couldn't' do anything that would put Wendy at risk, but at the same time he didn't want to appear suspicious. He just went with his gut and regretfully declined Cobra's offer.

"It's no bother," Juvia insisted. "Besides it will give Gajeel and I a chance to catch up."

"No, we got our own thing to do," Jellal told him.

"Like what?" Cobra asked.

"We're escorting some punk kid to Magnolia," Gajeel answered.

"Gajeel!" Jellal snapped, shaking his head.

Cobra burst out into laughter. "You got stuck doing a babysitting job? I can see why you're so hell bent on keeping the job a secret, eh Mystogon? Well that's no problem with me, and I know Juvia here is a sweetheart for children to. So, come my friend, no more excuses."

"Okay," Jellal sighed in defeat, "looks like we don't have a choice." He turned to wave at Natsu to come on over, but not before he scowled at Gajeel. The other teen just shrugged it off as he went to retrieve the horses.

* * *

Back in Magnolia, Lucy was making her way to the Fairy Tail Pub as she walked down the cobblestone streets of the city. It was about mid-day, and though she didn't expect most of her new friends to be there she figured she could spend the time with Mirajane and Kiana. Admittedly she would much rather stay back at the house where she could continue practicing her writing, but at the moment she suffered terrible writer's block. Perhaps some fresh air and conversation would help her in her dilemma.

As she strutted through the city she began to get an eerie sensation resonated through her spine that sent a tingling sensation all throughout her back. She didn't know what it was that was causing the sensation, but as she peered around she thought she spotted something moving behind her, but when she turned around to get a better look, she noticed there was nothing there. She thought that perhaps it had been her imagination, or maybe it was a stray cat. She decided to just keep on walking anyways.

As she made her way past a few more buildings the sensation had hit her again, this time she spun around as fast as she could. This time she could have sworn she saw the wave of a black cloak disappear behind one of the ally ways she had just past. She wasn't too certain but she could feel her heart racing like made in the pit of her chest. She didn't waste another moment as she began to make a run for it. She didn't know if the pub would be the safest place, but at least she wouldn't be alone.

That's when she heard the sound of running footsteps behind her. This time she peered over her shoulder to see that there was no one following her. She wondered if perhaps she was acting too paranoid, but she wasn't about to let her guard down. She bolted straight for the pub doors and once there she flung them open and slammed them shut behind her as she looked for a lock. Once she found it she latched the door close before turning back around taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"Lucy?" she heard a young feminine voice say her name.

Lucy squeaked as she opened her eyes to see Kiana standing next to her, a look of worry in the girl's eyes. Lucy was still in the midst of taking deep breaths as she did her best to put on a fake smile for the girl. She noticed that Kiana was not the only one that appeared worried, she could see Mira at the other end of the pub, behind the bar staring at her with just as much concern. Fortunately, nobody else in the pub paid much attention for they were too indulged in their own drinks to care.

"Oh, hi Kiana," Lucy said doing her best to keep her fake smile on. Though she knew that after her little episode it was going to be hard to convince the purple haired girl that everything was okay. "What are you doing?"

"What am I doing?" the girl asked blinking in confusion. "Are you okay? Did something happen?"

"What? No, of course not," Lucy lied, but she soon found herself growing terribly uncomfortable lying to the other girl. "Well actually," she sighed, "I was on my way here when I could have sworn I was being followed."

"Really?" the girl said as she stared at the pub door. "Well, you'll be safe here," she said as she took Lucy by the hand and led the girl to the bar. Lucy looked back to see one of the other guests in the pub made their way over and unlatched the door. After he opened it Lucy could see that there was no one behind her, but it still didn't quell her already fast beating heart.

"What's wrong?" Mira asked as soon as Kiana plumped Lucy down in front of her.

"Lucy thought someone was following her out in the street," Kiana told her. "The poor girl is still shaking."

"Here," Mira said as she poured Lucy a drink of water. "Drink this. It's not much but it should help you settle down a bit."

Lucy took it and chug the entire mug in one fell swoop before gasping for air afterwards. Mira poured her another drink, as she handed it to her she told, "This time sip it. It's better if you take it slow."

Lucy took heed of her advice as she began to sip on her drink. It was cool and refreshing, though it was strange at the same time. There was something about it that made it sweet, or at least sweeter than most other water she had grown accustomed to drinking. She hadn't even noticed it the first time, but she stared ominously at her drink.

"Thank you," Lucy said calmly as she took another sip.

"You know you're more than welcome to stay her as long as you want," Mira told her. She rested her palm on top of Lucy's, smiling brightly at her.

Not long after Erza and Levy both walked through the pub door and made their way up to the bar when Erza spotted the blonde. They made a brisk movement, Erza sliding into a seat next to her. Levy walked up to Kiana who was still standing next to Lucy. She was curious as to what was going on only to notice the tremor in the blonde.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Somebody was following Lucy out in the streets earlier," Kiana told her.

"I'm not even sure if I was being followed," Lucy said innocently. "I just got freaked out over nothing."

"Nonsense," Erza answered grimly. "I told you that I should be by your side at all times. I was sworn to protect you, but you continue to send me off on errands and other useless tasks. You should let me stay by your side at all times, I've told you this time and time again, but you absolutely refuse to listen."

Lucy had to admit Erza had a point, but she liked her own privacy too. Erza wasn't terrible to be around, but the girl just needed her space and Erza could just be too clingy. She often sent the redhead out with Levy in order to get some time to herself. But at the moment she wished that she had Erza by her side; at least that way she would feel safer.

"Leave her alone Erza," Levy interjected. "Even I can understand when Lucy needs time to herself. Maybe she was followed, maybe she wasn't, but for now we'll stay with her until she feels better."

"Of course we'll stay by her side, that's our job remember?" Erza said scowling.

"Oh relax," Mira interjected into the other girls' argument. "What's done is done, Lucy is fine and the last thing we need to do is bicker amongst ourselves. So for now, how about everyone have a nice cool glass of something to drink and get along?"

"Fine," Erza grimaced as she sat down and held out her hand for a mug.

When if began to get later in the afternoon some of Lucy's other friends began to show up. Lucy had forgotten her troubles as she conversed with all the familiar faces: Elfman, Lissana, and even Gray showed up, but kept to himself as he usually did. Finally it got late enough that Lucy and the others decided to head home. The young girl had forgotten about what had happened to her earlier as she and the other girls made their way home.

Once again Lucy found that same eerie feeling fluctuate through her as she found herself stopping to look around. Erza noticed, as did Levy as they watched the blonde stare out into the distance behind them.

"Lucy?" Levy asked as she began to grow worried. "Lucy?"

"What?" Lucy said as she snapped back to attention. She noticed the two of them staring at her. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I had that same feeling that I had from before."

"It's okay," Levy said as she stepped up and placed her hand on the other girl's shoulder. "I know you're worried, but don't, you have me and Erza here. You'll be fine."

"I know," Lucy sighed as she smiled at the other girl. "Thank you Levy."

As they continued to walk Lucy could still feel that tingly sensation flow through her. She noticed her pace began to slow down as she could have sworn that she heard footsteps behind them. She stopped again as she felt her heart freeze in place, as she twirled her head around this time catching a black cloaked figure standing behind her. The man stopped in place, his face shrouded by shadow, and though she could not see his eyes she could feel his glare on her.

"Lucy?" Erza asked as she spun around to see the same figure as the blonde. Without a second of hesitation she rushed forward and shoved the blonde girl behind her as she unsheathed her sword.

"Get behind me Miss Lucy," Levy said as she too took a stance in front of the blonde girl.

"Levy," Erza said as she held up her sword.

"Yeah?" the small girl said as she kept her eyes on the man in front of her.

"Take the princess and get out of here," Erza ordered. "I'll handle this."

"Are you sure?" Levy asked.

"Do it," Erza ordered, glaring back at them.

"Okay," Levy said nodding her head. She grabbed Lucy's arm as the two of them began to run away. Lucy resisted at first as she looked back at Erza. "She'll be fine Miss Lucy," Levy said reassuringly as she pulled her away.

"All right," Lucy said as she followed the smaller girl. Though before she left she took one last glance back at Erza. "Take care of yourself Erza," Lucy shouted before she finally left.

"Who are you?" Erza barked as she glared at the cloaked man.

The man didn't say a single word, but Erza saw a sword slide out of one of the man's sleeves as he made a dash at her. Erza stood her ground as the man came barreling down on her, flinging his sword down. The redhead parried it to the side before swinging her own blade at the cloaked figure's neck. The man flung his head back as the tip of the blade just clipped the base of his own hood.

He jumped back, his feet sliding across the cobblestone. He said nothing as he rushed in again swinging his blade only to have it deflected by Erza's own sword. She stepped in, shoving her shoulder into the man's chest knocking him down. She flung her sword down only to have the man roll out of the way as her blade collided with the ground.

The man attempted to trip the girl with his feet, but Erza jumped up to avoid it. After dodging the attempted blow Erza kicked the man in the gut, causing his hood to fall down revealing his snake like eyes and pale skin. He rolled to his stomach and got back to his feet. Again he raised his sword in the air, bringing it down upon Erza who held up her own sword to block it. With her own strength she threw the man back causing him to stumble backwards. Erza than head butted him just before she took her sword and ran the man through.

Kurohebi gasped for air as his eyes fell down to his gut as he could see the blade being covered in blood. Erza glowered at him before she ripped her blade out of Kurohebi's gut causing him to collapse to the ground to his knees. He gasped for air as he peered back up at Erza while the redhead stood over him, her blade still held upright. Kurohebi did not say another word before he finally fell down into a puddle of his own blood and lay there motionless.

Erza eyed him carefully, kicking the blade away from the hand of her opponent. She kept her blade pointed at the body before she could hear the clamor of footsteps rushing towards her. At the lead was Gray, followed by a group of Magnolian guards, Gray had his own sword held outright.

When he finally came upon Erza he saw her sword pointed at the motionless Kurohebi, blood still dripping off the edge of the blade. The redhead glared back up at them, taking deep breaths. Once Gray saw that there was no issue he sheathed his own sword and walked over to the body. He knelt down, placing his fingers on the man's neck, the other guards kept their own weapons extended as they encircled Erza. The girl kept her eyes on them as Gray stood back up.

"He's still alive," Gray said as he looked up at Erza, "barely. Take him to the hospital. If he survives than we'll question what his motives were."

A couple of the guards picked the body up and carried it away. Erza stood there still breathing deeply. Gray looked at her, "Come on Erza, let's get you cleaned up."

"No," the redhead said shaking her head as she whipped her blade. "I have to get back to Lucy and Levy and see if they're okay."

"You're the one that just got into a fight," Gray told her. "I'm sure they're fine. Go on, I'll go find them and take care of them." The girl eyed him skeptically. "I'm not going to do anything brash," he sighed. "I'm just going to go and make sure that they're okay. You've all been through a lot tonight." The redhead placed her hands on her hips, not convinced by the boy's words.

"Well, how about I go" a feminine voice asked as Cana approached them, Gildarts by her side.

"You?" Erza spat. "You're even worse."

"Please," Cana giggled, "you know that you guys enjoyed my company the last time."

Erza blushed a fierce crimson red, as a sly smirk crept across Cana's lips. Both Gildarts and Gray were both equally confused as the older man found his eyes wondering from his daughter to the redhead. He sighed shaking his head. He wondered what kind of mischief his daughter had gotten herself into. From the look on Erza's face, it probably was something that he was better off not knowing.

"I'll go," Gildarts grunted. "I've known Lucy since she was a little girl. You can trust me to take care of her for you."

"You I can, her on the other hand," Erza said glowering at Cana. The brunette just grinned a wide, toothy grin.

Without another word Erza left with Gray as the two of them heading towards the main Magnolian headquarters together. Gildarts and Cana watched the two of them leave before the older man scolded his daughter.

"What?" the brunette asked staring blankly at her father.

"What did you do?" he sighed.

"I don't know what you're talking about?" Cana said innocently before walking towards Lucy's home.

"What am I going to do with that girl?" Gildarts sighed to himself before he followed her.

**A/N: Yeah sorry, I did not have internet for literally two weeks. Been working on this chapter and the next chapter. Hopefully I will have Chapter 30 up in a couple of days.**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Finally Arriving

After spending a couple of weeks marching, Duke's army finally arrived at Nirvit's border. He stopped his army just out front of the walls, making sure to keep enough distance between himself and the archers. The young king was new to combat, so he had no idea how to engage the situation, which is why he turned to his generals and right hand Ivan. The generals told him that he would have to ride out with a small company with a banner man and negotiate with Robaul. Perhaps they could convince him to surrender without resorting to violence. Duke was not too partial to the idea but he reluctantly agreed.

He rode out with his commanding general, Ivan and two soldiers on horseback that carried his country's banners. As they neared the large mahogany gate, the doors slowly opened, allowing the short old Robaul, the young Magnolia captain and two banner men of their own to ride through the gate. Upon Ivan seeing the young blonde captain he couldn't help but smirk to himself though the pleasantries were not exchanged.

"Greetings young king," Robaul grumbled as he brought his horse to a stop. He glared at the young king and his company from behind his bushy eyebrows. "I am Lord Robaul of the Nirvit people. I bid you a good day and ask you what it is that you want with me and my people."

"Lord Robaul," Duke said sternly, doing his best to appear as a man of stature, "it is good to finally meet you."

"Too bad I cannot say the same," Robaul interrupted. "I'm sorry," he apologized as he saw Duke's eyes flare up with annoyance. "Please continue."

"As I was saying Lord Robaul," Duke sneered, "it is an honor to finally meet you. I have heard good things about you and your country. Though unfortunately our greetings could not come under more affable circumstances I was hoping to negotiate with you so as to avoid a war."

"Though you may be young and arrogant young king," Robaul sighed, "you have an army that is far too large for us to resist. I cannot in good conscience allow my people to sub come to bloodshed. And though it hurts my heart dearly I must do what is necessary to protect my people, and because of that I am willing to do whatever it takes to insure peace."

"A wise gesture my Lord," Duke said thoughtfully. "If you promise to lay down your arms and give into my commands I promise that no harm will befall you or your people."

"Very well," Robaul said as he began to turn his horse around. "You may enter so we can negotiate your terms."

The old man began to ride back to the gate, as Duke in turn turned around to go back to his own army, leaving Laxus and Ivan alone. There was an awkward tension between the two of them as Ivan could feel the hateful glare that radiated from Laxus's eyes.

"Well, well, well," Ivan snickered, "if it isn't Laxus Dreyer, grandson of Makrov of Magnolia, and from the looks of it, Captain of the Magnolian Guard. It seems like it has been too long since our last encounter."

Duke's turned a confused and curious glare to his right hand noble as he wondered what the relationship between Ivan and Laxus was.

"Not long enough if you ask me," Laxus grumbled. "Would have been better had this encounter never taken place at all."

"Tell me, Laxus," Ivan said coolly, "how is your grandfather fairing these days?"

"The old man is doing very well these days," Laxus growled. "Much better now that he doesn't have to deal with you anymore. I think that he can only do better as long as he doesn't need to see you."

"That's nice, tell him hello for me the next time you see him," Ivan chuckled.

"That's enough the two of you," Duke snapped. "We don't have time for petty grievances between the two of you. Now, General," he said addressing his commanding officer, "go back to the army and bring in the first brigade to the gate. We march through Nirvit now."

"Yes, my Lord," the general said, bowing his head before he took a flag and began to wave it through the air, causing one of the battalions to begin marching forward.

Ivan noticed that the guards on the towers were more at ease as the large gates began to open. Ivan noticed that there was no resistance awaiting for them, but rather a barren road. Laxus said nothing more to the old noble before he turned his horse around and began to gallop back to the city. Ivan watched as two other horsemen met with Laxus as he was riding through, one with long mossy hair and the other whose head was concealed by a helmet.

Robaul said no more words and instead turned around and followed behind the young captain. Though as soon as he had road through the walls, the gates did not close behind him.

It did not take long for the battalion to reach Duke. He stood in front of them, giving the order that they are to follow him as he led them trough the city, as was custom for a ruler to do with a conquered city. Ivan rode beside him, the echoing sounds of thousands of footsteps behind them.

Later Duke met with Robaul at Robaul's fortress to negotiate terms and to sign a formal declaration of surrender. The young king sat at one end of the table with Ivan and several other advisors while Robaul sat on the otherside with his own men. However, Ivan noticed that Laxus was not there. It didn't surprise him, the young captain may have come to help the city, but ultimately he was not apart of the council, nor was he of high enough ranking to be involved in such proceedings.

After a few negotiations Duke and Robaul were on their way to coming to a deal. The young king and his forces would not bring about any harm to Nirvit or to the people as long as Robaul pledge to not advocate or try to instigate violence to any soldier from Junelle, Konvern or even Jean-Luc's men. Another issue was that Duke and his men would leave a limited number men in Nirvit to oversee the city, but they were not allowed to directly get involved with the people or the city. There would also be a tax and at least a few hundred Nirvit soldiers required to join the military.

When they were finally ready to sign, Duke appeared to be happy with the terms, as did Robaul. But right before Duke actually signed the document Ivan spoke up. "Also, we require that you hand over the Draconan child to us immediately. The one who has been rumored to be one in the same as the Dragon of Konvern."

Robaul's eyes went wide at the request, and for a moment he felt like his heart had stopped beating in its chest. "I have no idea what you are referring to," Robaul answered as his eyes fell down to the table. "There is no such child here in Nirvit."

"Do not lie to us, my Lord," Ivan hissed. "We know that such a child resides within these walls, and we have interests in said child. So, now as part of our arrangement, you are to adhere to those requests that are rational. I would say allowing us to take control of such a threat to our people would dictate within the realm of rationality."

"I am sorry Lord Ivan, but no such child resides in such walls. I am afraid that your request cannot be fulfilled," Robaul answered. Ivan could see the truth in the old man's eyes. He knew that Robaul was not lying, but that only caused him to become a bit infuriated.

"The old lord speaks the truth," a cold, shrivel voice susurrated in Ivan's ears. It was a familiar voice, one that made his blood turn cold. He knew that the body was not there, but the chilling presence was undeniable. "The girl has been sent to Magnolia with Natsu Dragoneel. Well, not it seems that the tides have turned against you for now. So, now the question remains, what will you do?"

"You sent the child away because you knew we were coming didn't you?" Ivan barked.

"Again I don't know what you are talking about," Robaul said through a sly grin. "I know not of what child you are referring to, but please Lord Ivan, if we could get back to the negotiations than we can all move on from this horrid day."

"Horrid to you maybe," Duke chuckled. "But this is my first victory. Hopefully, the first in many to come."

"Hopefully not," Robaul grumbled. "Though it is good to know that we could come to terms without resorting to conflict."

"So tell us, where did you send the child?" Ivan pestered. He knew where the child had gone; he just wanted to hear it come from Robaul. At this point Robaul was growing annoyed with Ivan.

"There is no such child, my Lord," he growled. "Now I am growing ever more annoyed with your behavior."

"My behavior is justified," Ivan grumbled. "My Lord," he said turning to Duke. "How can we trust Robaul when he clearly lies to you in front of your face?"

"How dare you!" Robaul yelled. "You dare come into my country, my home and accuse me of such actions?"

"Well aren't you?" Ivan growled. "How could you be so coherent about lying about such a small issue? If you want to rove your loyalty and commitment to your new lord, than you should at least be honest about such a trivial matter."

"Trivial?" Ivan shouted as he slammed his fist on the table, an action that caused the other Nirvit Guards to become jittery. "Trivial? I think lying on such an issue just proves how un-trivial this situation really is?"

"Robaul, Ivan, the two of you stop this right now!" Duke bellowed as he too stood up.

"You cannot have my daughter Ivan!" Robual finally shouted. The old noble and the others were stunned by Robaul's words, though the old man stood firm as he glowered at them.

No one was able to utter another word as two Nirvit guards charged at the table. Robaul waved his hands in the air to stop them, but they had passed by him without so much as a word. Duke stood up and unsheathed his sword as did his own guards.

"Sto—" Robual tried to shout, but he was silenced as Ivan pulled a dagger from his belt and stuck it in the old man's back. Robual blinked as held a blank stare, his hands slowly creeping up to the spot in the middle of his back, just to the left of his spine. He gasped for air before collapsing to the ground, leaving everyone in the room stunned for a moment.

Enraged the guards shouted as they pounced at Duke and his company. Ivan stood next to the young king as he grabbed Duke by the shoulder and pulled him back as the rest of his own guard retaliated. The clash of steel on steel blistered through the air, the cries of men screaming as one another clashed. Unfortunately for the Nirvit men, Duke's men wore armor that protected them from the Nirvit weapons, while their own were able to cut through their opponents with ease.

Duke was pulled away as he was briskly carried away by Ivan and one of his generals. The other advisors had already quickly made their escape from the room, not bothering to care if their young lord was okay. The young king on the other hand was still a bit startled, but anger consumed him more so than any other emotion.

"Wipe them out!" he cried as he broke free from Ivan and the other guard's grip.

"Wipe them out?" Ivan asked perplexed. "What are you talking about? Wipe out who?"

"Nirvit!" Duke shouted. "I want this city burned to the ground. Wipe out everyone! I haven't made myself clear, anyone who dares oppose me must be made an example of."

"My Lord, don't you think that's a bit . . . rash?" Ivan asked.

"These men tried to kill me Ivan," Duke snapped. "I will not tolerate such behavior."

Duke did not have to relay the order to his general, the commanding officer had already left to deliver the word. Ivan was busy trying to coerce Duke against his previous order, but he could see the young king was set on his decision. As the two of them argued the doors to the fortress burst open as Laxus and two other men came storming into the hallway. Laxus with a sword unsheathed and held up high.

"FATHER!" Laxus roared. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"Father?" Duke said quizzically as he glared at Ivan.

"Laxus," Ivan cursed under his breath as he unsheathed his own sword. He placed a hand on Duke's chest and shoved the young king back.

"How could you?!" Laxus cried. "How could you stand behind such a travesty? I knew you were vile, but this? This is monstrous!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ivan shouted back.

"Don't think me a fool old man!" Laxus bellowed as he began to rush down the stone corridor. "How could you violate your truce so soon, so easily? Have you no honor?"

Laxus was coming closer now, his two knights on his heels right behind him. They were in a dead sprint as Ivan held up his sword, embracing for impact. But just then the doors from the conference room burst open as Duke's guards came rushing out; their armor covered in blood, their weapons still out in front of their persons. Upon seeing Laxus and the others they dashed past the two noblemen and clashed their blades with Laxus and his two knights.

Ivan took the moment to grab Duke as they made their way to find another exit. He had no idea where he was going, just had to make sure that he got away from Laxus. They made their way up a stone staircase that led them to the a fortress tower.

Once they had stepped out onto the ledge they could hear the clamor of metal bashing against metal, the screams of women and shouts of men reverberate from down below. Duke's men had already began sacking the city, setting fire to buildings, breaking every window, cart and stand they could find. All the soldiers were busy trying to keep the invaders at bay, but the sudden outburst had caught them off guard and unprepared. They did their best to keep Duke's men at bay as the citizens fled to ships or somewhere they believed to be safe.

Soldiers from the three kingdoms were already mowing down every person that stood in their way. Unfortunately, their numbers were too great and there was no way for the Nirvit soldiers to defend themselves in the open street, especially with an enemy already inside their walls. Soldiers from the three kingdoms were scattered throughout the city, slashing as the streets began to flood with blood of Nirvit people. The shouts of the victims roared, but it was difficult to make out exactly where they were all coming from since fresh smoke filled the city air.

Meanwhile down below in the fortress halls, Laxus yelled as he brought his sword down upon one of Duke's guards, knocking his opponent's blade to the side as the tip of the blade slid into the skull of the man. The body collapsed to the ground as Laxus took a moment to catch his breath. He looked at his two companions as the green haired man continued to fight with two guards at the same time, using a fencing style knocking each of their blades away before finally finding an opening near one of the men's throats and slid his own sword into the soft flesh.

His other companion on the other hand found himself being pinned back as he was fighting two opponents himself, but they were pushing forward. Laxus wasted no time as he leapt to the aid of his guard. He brought down his sword into the back of one of the two men, dragging him down to the floor. However, he had not seen the other guard who came running up from behind. Laxus managed to catch him out of the corner of his eye, but not before the man swung his sword and struck Laxus just above the right hip.

Laxus roared in pain, but struck the man with his elbow before barreling his sword deep into the man's gut. He slid his sword out and collapsed to his knee, grasping at the wound.

"Laxus," the green haired man cried as he slid to his side. The other knight stared down in horror as blood began to ooze through Laxus's fingers.

"Don't worry, it's just a flesh wound, Freed," Laxus wheezed.

"Sir, you are severely injured," Freed said. "Bickslow, help me get him up. We have to get you out of here sir."

"No, we have to find Duke, and my father," Laxus groaned as he stood back up to his feet.

"Sir, you are in no condition to go after anyone," Bickslow said as he and Freed lifted Laxus back up to his feet. "Live to fight another day sir, your grandfather would understand."

"Ivan," Laxus growled under his breath as though it were a curse. But he did not linger nay longer. He obeyed his companion's request as he was brought back up to his feet.

* * *

As the company made their way, Natsu began to grow a bit annoyed with traveling with Cobra and the new girl. Apparently Juvia was to go as an advisor for the country of Mila. However, as Jellal had to explain to Natsu and the others in secret, the slave trade had deep connections in politics, which is why she was traveling with Cobra. Cobra was already on his way to Magnolia as per instruction from his bosses, so the two went hand in hand.

Gajeel had explained that through his bandit years he had often come in contact with certain politicians, mainly to try and coerce the highwaymen into bribes that would prevent them from attacking their country's caravans and traders. Juvia serve as an emissary more than her fair share; sometimes it took a beautiful woman to convince hostile men to behave in a more civil manner.

Wendy appeared to get along well with the new girl. It was nice for her to have someone of her own gender she could talk to, but even more so it was a relief to the men because neither one of them really knew how to take care of such a young girl. Though most of the time Wendy pleaded with Natsu to teach her some new dragon techniques to help her become better. Natsu was more than eager, but often had to do it in secret so as not to alert the strangers.

Jellal continued to go by his secret name, Mystagon. Cobra and Juvia would have both discovered his real identity any other way. Natsu and Gajeel didn't mind, though Gajeel spent most of his time on his own, which really was no surprise to anyone. To avoid any other confusion they told Cobra and Juvia that the three of them were just hired as private bodyguards and were just escorting Wendy to her rich father's in Magnolia. Something close to the truth.

They traveled for a few weeks before the company finally arrived at Magnolia. Natsu could see the large stone walls of the city as he nearly rushed towards them in eager haste. At last, after all this time, after months of waiting and traveling, he was finally going to see her again, he was finally going to see Lucy. He wondered how much she had changed.

His thoughts stayed on the young girl until he finally went storming through the gates only to realize that Magnolia, like any city was huge. His eyes went wide as his face dropped. There were miles of cobblestone roads and an endless sea of bronzed buildings. Just at the gate itself he could see a plethora of people wondering about; some standing, others shopping and driving carts. He was amazed by what he saw, even the channel of water that carried people via boats that winded it's way through the city. Where was he going to start?

"Natsu," Jellal called out from behind as he rode up on his horse, Cobra riding behind him carrying Wendy. "Why must you always rush off? Stay with us."

"Sorry," Natsu sighed as he fell down to his rump, "I just got a little overly excited."

"I know," Jellal sighed. "But don't worry, we'll find them. I'm just as excited as you are."

"Oh, that wouldn't have to do with seeing Erza again would it?" Natsu teased.

"Who's Erza?" Wendy squeaked from behind Cobra.

"Mystogan's lover," Gajeel answered nonchalantly.

"She is not," Jellal replied a bit embarrassed. "She's just an old friend of mine."

"Sure she is," Gajeel snickered as strode on by them, Natsu's horse walking behind his own.

They made their way to the center of the city, where they saw a large fortress stand in the heart of the town square. Jellal led the way, but as soon as they had entered the city square Cobra bid them a farewell. "I will see you soon my friends," he said before leaving.

Juvia did not follow, instead she stayed with the others, after all she was there for diplomatic reasons. Cobra on the other hand was still part of a a more than sketchy underground organization who dealt in affairs that were illegal in Magnolia, so it would be best if he did not get involved in the matter.

Wendy was still awestruck by the structure, she had never seen a castle before, and the site of one was amazing for her. Her mouth was agape. Jellal bid farwell to his friend as he led the others to the fortress gate. The others following behind, Natsu's mind on where Lucy could be while Wendy was still awestruck, her eyes wondering over the caste walls and the sheer height of the towers.

They entered through the walls, to their right they saw a barracks filled with men in bronze armor and blue capes. The eyes of the soldiers fell on them as they talked amongst themselves and sat down to eat. What caught their attention and what they were really leering at Jella, Natsu and Gajeel, seeing as they were the ones wearing armor from a foreign country; even if it was Nirvit. Though what was the most peculiar to these soldiers was that none of them appeared to be native Nirvit people, which only made them that much more curious.

Jellal and the others made their way into the fortress, there at the entrance they were greeted by the short lord Markrov. Jellal bowed his head in courtesy as did the others, that was all except Gajeel.

"Welcome to Magnolia," Markrov greeted them with a wide toothy grin. "You must be Jellal, Robaul sent me a message telling me that you were due to arrive here with his daughter."

"Yes, thank you my Lord," Jellal said.

"Ah, enough of that," Makrov spat as he waved the formal gesture off. "Where is the little tyke, I would love to meet her after all this time."

Natsu had noticed that Wendy was half hiding behind his frame. He had forgotten how shy the girl could be, especially when it came to meeting new people. She often stayed away from strangers, but he got a good feeling about this old man. There was a certain spark in his eye and a kind smile on his lips. And seeing as how Jellal had respect for him, he figured that this old man must be someone that he could also trust.

"She's right here," Jellal answered as he stepped aside to allow Makrov to gain a better view of the young girl. Wendy shuttered as she hid further behind Natsu.

"You don't have to be frightened of me Wendy," Makrov said with a laugh. "I know your father, he and I are good friends. You're more than welcome here."

"Nice to meet you," Wendy said as her cheeks shaded to a bright pink. She was still a bit shy, keeping her eyes on the ground as she did a courtesy curtsy.

"No need for that," Markrov laughed, as he walked over to her. The man was so short even Wendy was looking down at him. He placed a caring hand on her shoulder, a gesture that put her at ease. "You are more than welcomed here young Wendy, as are the rest of you," he said to the others in the group. "Please make yourselves at home and stay as long as you like."

"Thank you my Lord," Jellal said bowing his head. He knew that Markrov told him that the formal conducts were unnecessary, but it was just too ingrained in his nature.

"Now all of you, why don't you go take lodging in a nearby hotel, and tell them that I sent you. They should take care of you no problem," Makrov said before turning away to leave.

"Excuse me my Lord," Juvia interjected as she stepped in front of the rest of them. She had a stern look about her face, and a lingering glare just below her brow. "I am Juvia Lockser. I have been sent her on political business from Mila to discuss with you the current events that have been unfolding in the middle of the continent recently."

"Oh, you mean with the young King Duke?" Markrov said as he stopped himself. He stared at the ground, not even peering back over to the young girl. "Yes such matters should and will be discussed, but not at the present moment."

"But Lord Makrov," Juvia interjected, taking a closer step towards the old man.

"I am sorry Miss Lockser," Makrov said holding up a hand. I was only announced of your group's arrival through one of my own guards, but at the current moment I am dealing with much more pressing matters, I hope you understand. I know that what you have to say is important, and do not worry I don't plan to neglect such vital conference. However, you cannot expect me to discuss these matters on a whim, especially after you have just arrived from a long, and weary journey.

"Jellal, you and the others are free to lodge in the hotel. Miss Lockser, I humbly request that you and Miss Wendy spend the evening at a our guest house for important female guests."

"Thank you, my Lord," Jellal said one last time.

"And stop calling me Lord!" Makrov shouted as he ascended the staircase.

"Excuse, Lord Makrov?" Natsu called out to him just before the man was out of sight. He just realized that perhaps this old lord would know where Lucy and the other girls were.

"Honestly," Makrov sighed in annoyance. "How difficult is the concept of, 'don't call me Lord,' is impossible for you young people to understand?"

"I apologize," Natus said sincerely. "But we are looking for some friends of ours. A blonde girl named Lucy, her friend and companion, a short girl with blue hair named Levy, and a red head named Erza. Would you perhaps know their whereabouts?"

"Oh?" Makrov said blinking. "You mean Princess Lucy of Konvern?"

"That's the one," Natsu said through a wide grin.

"I did not know she was expecting any visitors," he said eyeing Natsu. The young pink haired teen did not appear to be somebody that a highclass member of society would associate with, or even call a friend, especially not someone who was in fact a princess of all people. He was curious, no more intrigued on what possible relationship could be hand between the two youngsters. "But they reside in a guest house of noble guests just a couple of blocks up, the very same one I have told Miss Lockser and Wendy to take up residence in." He said as he gave them instructions on how to reach their destination.

Natsu thanked him as the young boy sprinted from the fortress walls. Jellal decided not to yell after him, knowing by now that such an action would be trivial. Gajeel and the others just followed him, and though Jellal did not want to admit it to the others, he was more than excited to see his old personal guard Erza once more. He wondered how she managed to fare in the city. She was probably happy to serve under an actual member of royalty, such an honor was only bestowed to high ranking members of knighthood.

When they came upon the house Natsu slid to a stop just in front of the doorsteps. He nearly tripped over his own feet as he caught himself before falling over. He stared up at the door, everyone else walking up behind him. Even Juvia, the stranger they had met on the road traveled with them, after all this was the place she was instructed to stay during her visit. Though what confused her more than anything was the fact that the man she knew as Mystogan's true identity was in fact Jellal. She began to question why he ha changed it, and at the moment the young lord was not aware of her eyes glaring over at him as he walked with the rest of his company.

"We're here!" Natsu shouted in excitement. "Lucy!" he called out as he barged through the door.

"Natsu!" Juvia shouted before anyone else got the chance. "You can't just barge into somebody's house like that! That's rude." But Natsu didn't listen to her. He was far too excited to see Lucy again.

"Lucy?" he called out as he entered the house.

"Hey?" he heard a voice shout. Only it was not a voice he recognize, and what more it belonged to a young man. "Who the hell are you?" Gray asked as he ran to the front door.

Natsu stared blankly at the young soldier, Gray wore armor and had a sword by his side. The two of them stared one another down. Natsu wondering who this man was, and though the obvious answer would be that he walked into the wrong house, the though never crossed his mind.

"Who the hell are you?" Natsu asked as he began to look around the house, pushing pass Gray.

"I asked you first," Gray said as he grabbed Natsu by the back of his collar and flung him into the wall. "Who the hell do you think you are barging into someone else's house without so much as a knock?"

Natsu glared at him, his nostrils flaring. From afar the others could see the confrontation as Jellal began to panic.

"Shit," Jellal cursed under his breath. "Did the idiot break into the wrong house?" He looked over at the others, Wendy began to grow nervous as she bit the top of fist, Gajeel was more uncaring and instead decided to sit down and watch the fight, but Juvia was entranced. The blue haired girl just stared at Gray as though she were out of breath and all though was lost on her.

"Where's Lucy?" Natsu demanded as he leered at Gray, swinging his arm up as he broke the other boy's grip.

"Who wants to know?" Gray said as he unsheathed his sword.

Natsu found the burning sensation rise within him as his eyes began to slant. Gray lifting up his sword as he saw the deadly gaze in Natsu's eyes. The pink haired boy lunged at him, knocking away the sword as Gray swung and stepped to the side.

"I'll ask you again," Natsu seethed. "Where's Lucy and the others?"

"Like I would tell the likes of you," Gray growled as the two of them clashed once more. Gray driving his sword into Natsu, but Natsu managed to catch it with the palms of his hands and instantly closed the gap between them to the point where their foreheads were just about to touch.

Gray hurled Natsu back as the two of them glared at one another. He could sense someone approaching him from behind, it was Wendy. The tiny girl grabbed him and he could sense the worry that was radiating from her. Something that he had experienced before, and though his body wanted to react naturally by attacking this oncoming body, he resisted it. He could feel himself twitch, he could feel his body wanting nothing more than to desperately move on its own, but he would not have it.

As he felt the girl's tiny arms wrap around his waist Natsu took in a deep breath, trying to muster enough strength to relinquish his powers and let himself return to normal. It was a struggle, but it appeared that Gray was not going to make any sudden movements.

"Natsu? Big brother?" the girl whispered. Natsu sighing he turned around to face Wendy.

"Thanks Wendy," he said grinning widely. "I kind of lost control of myself back there."

"It's okay," the girl said softly. "I know that you just get high spirited every now and then."

"Thanks," Natsu said as he patted her on the top of the head.

"Well now that Pinky has cooled down," Gray said sheathing his sword. "You mind telling me who the hell you people are?"


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Reunion

"I'll ask you again, who are you?" Gray said seriously as glared at the newcomers.

"I am Jellal Fernades of Juelle, former Hand to the king," Jellal said with as much a serious tone as Gray. "I am here as an emissary for Lord Robaul's daughter Wendy. Her father requested that I safeguard her on her journey here to Magnolia, seeing as how he and I are old acquaintances."

"That's all well and good then," Gray sighed, "but why are you here? These are private quarters reserved for female guests of Makrov. I can understand why the young girl and the other lady are here, but that doesn't explain why you are currently in the premises. Not to mention your fatuous friend's sudden outburst earlier."

"What did you call me?" Natsu growled as he stepped toward Gray with a fierce scowl upon his lips. Wendy attempted to pull him back, but he only proceeded to drag the young girl with him as he moved. "Are you offering me insult?"

"I'm calling you stupid, you idiot," Gray hissed.

"Why you," Natsu growled as he was once more butting heads with the young knight.

"Big brother please," Wendy pleaded as she tried to pull him away.

"Natsu knock it off, both of you," Jellal ordered. "Listen, Gray—"

"Fullbuster," the young man added in for Jellal has he was still eye locked in with Natsu.

"Fullbuster." Jellal finished. "We are looking for our friends, Lucy of Konvern and her companions, Erza and Levy. Would you by chance know where we could find them?"

"I would, but I'm not going to tell you," Gray growled.

"Why not?" Natsu hissed.

"Why would I tell you, total strangers, where women of importance are? How do I know I can trust you?"

"Why wouldn't you be able to trust us?" Natsu asked.

"Because for one thing, you broke down a door that lead to private quarters of said women of importance," Gray rebutted.

"That's something coming from a guy who is currently inside said girl's home without their presence," Natsu retorted. "I bet you're doing something perverted here aren't you?"

"What are you accusing me of?" Gray barked.

"You heard me pervert," Natsu teased.

"Enough the both of you," Jellal snapped as he stepped in between the two of them. Gajeel just snickered to himself as Juvia was still lost in her own world, staring at Gray the whole time. "Gray, I am an old friend of Erza's, please tell us where we can find them. We've been separated for months now, and it would be nice to see them once again as soon as possible."

Gray eyed him carefully before leering at Natsu one more time. He did not know what he was to do, since he did not know whether or not he can really trust this group of people. Though Jellal seemed like a trustworthy enough guy. He was taking care of the young Wendy girl after all, and the other woman with the blue hair did not appear all that harmful. Though he had to admit he was beginning to feel a bit creped out by her constant staring.

He ponder it over for a bit before finally nodding his head. "I'll tell you where you can find them," he said to Jellal. "But I'm going with you. I don't want you stirring up any trouble, so I'm going to go with you."

"Very good," Jellal said as he stepped to the side and gestured for Gray to move forward. "Lead the way."

Gray took them down the road. He knew if anything that if they were going to find the girls it would most likely be at the pub. Seeing as how it was mid-day and most of the people the girls were known to associate with were finished with their daily labors, that was the spot where all of them would meet.

As he walked with the group he still kept a fierce eye on the pink haired teen. The boy was hot headed, and the way he carried himself Gray could just sense that disaster was a foot with him. He didn't know about the others, the black haired one seemed too quite with a disgruntled expression upon his face. He was one that Gray knew was the one to be the most weary of. The girls however, they appeared to be innocent enough, at least the young Wendy was. She just had that aura about her that he knew she would never be someone to cause harm, though he wished she had stayed behind. A pub was no place for a little girl, but he knew that she had to tag along cause she could not be left alone.

Gray led them to the Fairy Tail Pub. When he arrived at the door he turned to face them in order to address them properly, though in truth it was more so to address Natsu whom he knew was going to get riled up. He honestly thought that someone should put a leash on the boy.

"Okay, we're here," Gray said. "Try not to start an uproar." He peered over at Natsu. Though the boy was not listening to him, he was shaking with anticipation of finally meeting Lucy and the others.

Once Gray had opened the doors Natsu surged right through, knocking Gray to the floor. "Hey!" Gray called out to him, but Natsu ignored him, he was far too busy scoping out the pub. Though honestly he did not know if this place could be called a pub. It was two stories high, larger than a barracks and there were tables lined up with people across the first and second floor. Natsu didn't have more than a couple of seconds of looking before Gray grabbed him by the shoulder and hurtled him back.

"What do you think you're doing there jerkface?!" Gray snarled.

"What do you mean what am I doing, pervert?" Natsu snapped back.

"You just knocked me over," Gray shouted back. The two of them were back to butting heads. A annoyed Jellal just shook his head at the two of them as Wendy thought about jumping in and try to stop the two of them, but she wondered if it would really work anymore.

"You should have gotten out of the way," Natsu blurted back.

Amongst all the commotion everyone in the pub turned around to see who exactly it was that was making such a ruckus. They immediately noticed Gray, but the strangers that were with him were a different story. Among them a blonde girl who was sitting at the bar talking to the bartender, Mira, turned around to see what had drawn everyone's attention.

At first she didn't believe what she saw. Though there were numerous people standing in front of her view she could make out an image of a pink haired teen arguing with Gray. 'Natsu?' she wondered to herself as she stood up and began gliding towards the door.

"Lucy?" Erza, who had been sitting next to the blonde the entire time with Levy said as she watched the girl wonder off.

As Lucy drew closer she could get a better view, slowly pushing her way through the crowd of bodies before. Finally she could make out the young man. She gasped as she clamped her hands to her mouth; tears began to stream from her eyes like water from a faucet.

"Natsu!" she cried still amidst her own shock. Natsu blinked, remembering exactly why he was there, but more concerned when he heard his name mentioned by a familiar feminine voice. Even Gray had stopped fighting with him as he let go of Natsu's collar and backed away. "Natsu!"

"Hey Lucy," Natsu said to her with a wide grin.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried one more time as she ran over and jumped into his chest. The force of her sudden leap caused Natsu to fall back a couple of steps, but he managed to maintain his balance as he wrapped his arms around the young blonde. "Is it really you?" She asked sobbing into his chest.

"Yeah," Natsu sighed happily as he rested his chin upon her crown, "it's really me. I missed you."

"Where have been?!" Lucy cried. "What have you been doing this whole time? Do you have any idea how worried sick I was for you?"

"I think I could gander a guess," Natsu chuckled. Lucy just slapped him in the chest, only to realize that the boy was wearing armor. She stood back and gazed upon it wondering where the boy had acquired it. But she didn't care about all that, for now she was just happy to have him back. "I thought about you everyday," Natsu whispered into her ear. "Every second of every minute. I'm sorry it took so long, but we had our own issues that kept coming up."

"Never mind that now," she sighed joyfully, I'm just glad to have you back. Without so much of another word she leaned up and kissed him.

The rest of the pub looked onward with smiles on their faces as the erupted into a round of applause for the two of them. Lucy blushed a feverish, crimson red as she buried her face back into Natsu's chest as the boy waved on the excited crowd.

Erza who had realized what was going on found herself standing up as well. She managed to push her way to the crowd to see the young Lucy in the arms of the pink haired Draconan they had left in Konvern. Without wasting another moment her eyes immediately darted around to see if she could spot Jellal. To her own stunned eyes she could see him, sporting bluish armor standing in the doorway with Gajeel, a young girl and another woman.

Erza could not control her own feet as she swiftly glided over to the young noble. "Jellal," she spoke his name softly. The young noble turned to her, he had been so distracted by the reunion between Natsu and Lucy he had forgotten the main person he had been looking for this entire time.

"Erza?" Jellal cried happily.

He waited for her as she came within a foot from him. She stared at him in disbelief, resting the palm of her hand against his cheek. She still couldn't believe what she was seeing, as Jellal cupped her hand in his and grinned widely at her. Their eyes were interlocked as Jellal found his heart pounding violently in his chest. He had no idea how much he truly missed the redhead. So much so that he felt as though he was out of breath as he stared deep into her eyes. That was until she yanked it away and slapped him with it.

"What was that for?" Jellal said bewildered. He clenched the cheek that was now throbbing a bright pink from her strong strike.

"You don't write, you don't let me know where you are. You're lucky all you got was a slap," she snapped.

"Sorry," Jellal sighed. "We didn't exactly have a lot of time to just sit down and write any letters while we were out."

"And what exactly have you been doing this entire time?" Erza snarled, talking down to Jellal the same a mother would to a child that had overly misbehaved.

"Traveling around, trying to ensure the safety of the last Draconan child so that she did not fall into Ivan and Duke's hands," Jellal told her.

"Draconan child?" Erza said blinking dumbfound. "What child?"

"This one right here," Jellal said stepping to the side to reveal the purple haired twelve year old. "Her name is Wendy. Her adopted father, Robaul, asked us to watch over her on our journey to Magolia. Since Duke's armies were seen marching to his land, he needed to find a way to smuggle her out without causing suspicion."

"So sending the former Hand to the very king that was trying to abduct her wouldn't cause suspicion?" Erza said snidely.

"Well, we didn't exactly go with our own aliases when we were traveling," Jellal rebuked.

Erza shook her head ignoring Jellal as she pushed by him to see the girl he was talking about. Wendy shuttered away, no uncommon with those that knew Erza; she did have an intimidating presence about her. She was as deadly as she was beautiful, but she kneeled down in front of the girl smiling brightly at her. Wendy may have felt uneasy, but she could tell that the grin was genuine and she began to feel a bit more comfortable with the redhead.

"Hello there," Erza said politely with a gentle tone. "I'm Erza. So you're this Wendy that Jellal was talking about? It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And I you," Wendy greeted politely.

She was still a bit afraid of Erza. She had never seen anyone overpower Jellal in such a way before. She wondered exactly who this young woman was, there was something more intriguing about her than just her dominant presence. After all, she did appear to be incredibly friendly towards the young girl after all.

"And by the way," Erza said breaking her gaze on the young girl and turning to Juvia, "who might you be?"

"My name is Juvia Lockser," the blue haired girl answered. "I am an emissary from Mila. I came her to discuss political agendas with Lord Makrov, but it appears that he is detained at the present moment."

Erza pursed her lips, not knowing exactly what to think of this new woman. She seemed a bit, she couldn't quite think of the word, but the best she could come up with was stoic. She was bit odd in her own way, though Erza had to admit that she did have handsome features about her. Though she spent most of her time staring over at Gray. Erza just rolled her eyes as she turned back to Wendy with the same friendly grin.

Gajeel just scoffed as he watched them all before making his way to the bar. As he dragged himself over he bumped into a small object. A familiar fragrance filled his nostrils as he began to wonder where he had smelt it before. It smelt of lavender and honeydew, not exactly the same before but it was familiar. In a way it was downright intoxicating.

"Hey!" a small voice squeaked.

Gajeel looked down, realizing that the voice, and the object he bumped into belonged to Levy. She had been too distracted by Natsu and Lucy's reunion that she hadn't noticed the large boy passing by.

"Oh, it's you," Gajeel scoffed, folding his arms across his chest.

"'Oh, it's you?'" Levy grumbled the snide remark back as she glared up at Gajeel. "Is that what you say to the person who saved your life back in Konvern? Stupid Gajeel."

"Saved my life?" Gajeel chuckled. "Hardly. I could have left anytime I wanted, it's just that Natsu and Jellal had their own plans."

"You . . . you . . ." Levy grunted in anger. "You're just despicable!"

"I know sweetheart, I know," Gajeel told her before walking back over to the bar.

Levy watched as he left, disappointed in him, and maybe a little bit in herself. This is not how she wanted to reunite with the boy when they found each other again. He may have been a pain, he may have been a brute, but she did see something in him that just intrigued her. Maybe it was that though he pretended to be rough and hard on the outside, he was still compassionate enough that he risked his life to save Lucy's and hers. At any point he could have left and deserted them, but he choose to stay behind. And in a way, the girl found it admirable.

Though she didn't know what to do any longer, so she figured that maybe she should try and join the black haired teen at the bar as well, though she did not know how well that would go over. She stamped her foot as she was determined to not let the black haired bandit bully her around. She was going to go and have a drink too. Regardless of whether or not he wanted to talk, regardless of how rude he would be, she still didn't want to be excluded.

Lucy continued to hold tight to Natsu, her head still buried deep into his chest as she could hear the uproar of people cheering them from behind. Finally she looked up at him, kissing him one more time on the lips, her face bushing a scarlet red from embarrassment. Natsu began to stroke the bangs from her eyes as he held her in closer.

From the second story of the pub Gildarts watch with a happy stare. He rested his chin against his palm as he leaned up against the wooden railing. He thought about going and saying something to Natsu, but for now he would let the two lovers enjoy there time together.

Never again. Never again was he going to let go of Lucy. Those months away from her were difficult, and now he could finally rest. Finally all of it was over, and they could finally be together again. He was just going to hold onto her, and he didn't care what the world would bring, but he would continue to hold Lucy in his arms.

She broke away for a moment, suddenly realizing that her lover was wearing a red-tinted color armor. She examined it carefully before peering back up at him a little puzzled.

"Oh, the armor," Natsu laughed as he too looked down at it. "It's kind of a long story."

"I would like to hear it," she told him. She stuck a finger up to his lips to prevent him from talking anymore about it. "But not now, later." She said as she grabbed him by the back of the neck, kissing him softly.

"Lucy," she heard a feminine voice say from behind her. She turned around to see Mira standing giggling to herself along with Kiana and most of her other friends. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your boyfriend?"

"Oh," Lucy gasped as her face blushed a soft pink. "This is Natsu." She motioned with her head since her arms were still locked around Natsu's body and his hers.

"The same Natsu who was_ just your friend_?" Lisana teased. The rest of them cocked their eyebrows and stared at her with sarcastic glares.

Lucy bit her lip as Natsu just laughed about it. In the back Erza had taken Wendy by the hand and led the girl to the front of the bar to get her a drink of milk, or water. Though she thought it was irresponsible of Jellal to bring a child to a pub of all places. That and she felt it necessary to find Wendy a more comfortable location. While she did that Gray was about to make his way out of the bar before Juvia went up and asked him if he would like to share a drink with her. Disgruntled from the events of the day Gray nodded in agreement and took the more than zealous girl to the front of the bar as well.

That left Jellal alone as he watched Erza leave. His gaze fell down to below her waste as he hadn't really noticed just how amazing her . . . skirt was. Yes the skirt, it was just so nice and comfortable looking. She wore it well. It was when she turned around to peer back at him one last time causing him to avert his eyes quickly as his gaze wondered off to a nearby pillar. Just looking at the pillar, that is a nice pillar.

He peered back for a second to see if the cost was clear. Erza was no longer glaring back at him. He sighed to himself, he really did miss her more than she knew. He just wished that after spending so much time apart she would be a bit more . . . civil. Though he followed her over to where she getting Wendy a cup of milk. Maybe if he could talk to her a bit longer, and maybe with Wendy there, the two of them could communicate nicely. But he doubted it.

He walked over to the two girls, Erza handing over the cup of ice cold milk to Wendy as the girl took it eagerly and began to sip it down. Erza noticing him turned with a scornful glare as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Well it's good to see you too," Jellal sighed.

"Jellal," Erza sighed herself. "I miss you too, more than you know," she said placed a hand on his cheek. The young noble flinched just a bit as he anticipated another slap. "I'm not angry at you, I'm angry because I was worried sick about you. Everyday I wondered if you were ever going to come back to me, the thought of losing you just—" She broke off as her eyes lingered to the floor.

Jellal grabbed Erza by the hand as he pulled her in and embraced her in a hug. The girl's eyes went wide as she was at a loss for words, her face flaring up in embarrassment.

"I am so sorry," he said. "I never meant to hurt you, I never meant to make you worry." He broke away as the two of them stared in one another's eyes. Jellal was leaning forward as their two lips began to inch closer and closer together.

"Uhm, excuse me," Wendy whimpered. The two of them broke away as Erza looked down at the small girl with a smile. "Can—" she stuttered. "Can I get some more milk please?"

As Lucy was baffled by the excitement of her friends, Gildarts decided that perhaps she and Natsu did need a bit of help. He chuckled to himself as he made his way down the stairs and walked over to them. When the old mentor came within view of the pink haired teen, Natsu's face dropped, and his mouth agape. He wondered if his eyes were deceiving him, but low and behold before him stood the very man who was the closest thing he could ever consider a father.

"Gildarts!" Natsu shouted as he waved to his old teacher, finally breaking his hold on the blonde girl.

Lucy giggled as she watched the pink haired teen run like an excited child before sliding to a grinding halt in front of his old master. Gildarts laughed as he embraced Natsu in a tight hug. The kind of hug only a father could give his son after not seeing each other in a long, long time. Natsu couldn't contain himself, he was about to burst with energy.

"What are you doing here?" Natsu exclaimed as Lucy walked up beside him, lacing her arm around his waste as she snuggled into his shoulder, kissing him softly on the neck.

"To save you two from any more embarrassment," he laughed. "Come," he said placing a hand on Natsu's shoulder. "Let me buy you a drink and we can all catch up."

Later that afternoon Lucy brought Natsu back to the house. The two of them stood on her balcony, overlooking the city and the bay just as the sun was setting on the horizon. The bay faced North of them, so the sun was setting to their side, just behind the large mountain range on the outskirts of the city. Lucy stood facing the ocean as Natsu stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her waste as the two of them looked out together.

The air was still for the most part, but every now and then a gentle breeze fluttered in from the sea, sending with it kisses of icy frost. Lucy didn't feel any cold as she was entrapped in Natsu's warm arms. She had really missed the feel of his arms around her, the warmth of his body pressed up against hers, even if he was currently wearing some armor. She would like to discuss it with him, but then again she would just like to enjoy the sunset.

The scenery was beautiful, the aqua green of the ocean along the velvet cobalt blue of the twilight sky. The sun was not low enough, but the light of the sun colored the billowy clouds a bright pink and iris. It was like living in a painting, so unreal and yet so sublime. The air was still warm from the heat of the day radiating off the flagstone and limestone buildings, but it danced with the cool wind of the ocean. The only thing missing would be the lovely fragrance of the misty ocean-spray, but unfortunately her residence was too far away at this time of day for her to enjoy it.

As she stood there absorbing the last of the sun's last rays she began to think back to what Cana had spoke to her earlier. She remembered how the brunette had told her. She felt a shiver of anxiety run through her gut, and her face flush as she recalled the events of that awkward night a while a go. She bit her lip, wondering if now was the right time. She lifted one hand as she cradled her necklace really thinking it through, but the more she thought about it, the more she could feel her heart race in her chest. So fast she could swear that it was going to break through her ribcage and stop all together.

She nervously shook her head as she took in a deep breath through her nostrils. She grinded her hips against Natsu's, catching the pink haired teen by surprise. As he looked down at her she gingerly broke away from his hold, turning away to stare at him with a seductive glare, rubbing her hands up and down Natsu's arms. He cocked his head wondering what exactly Lucy was planning.

Lucy giggled fretfully as she slid her hands down Natsu's soft ski before coming upon his hands. She gripped his fingertips in hers as she began to circle around him, leading him with her fingers. Natsu was still a bit suspicious as Lucy could feel her heart beat faster and faster to the point that she was feeling nauseous. Was she really this nervous? It was Natsu after all, why would she feel such anxiety, but then again this is a step the two of them had never taken before.

She spread his hands apart as she stepped in, kissing Natsu gently, yet passionately on the lips before breaking away. She didn't pull her face too far away from his, just enough so that she could stare deep into his eyes, and only see his eyes. Natsu was lost in the creamy, chocolate colors of her eyes as he stepped in for another kiss. But all he got was air as Lucy took a step back giggling to herself as she kept her hand knitted tightly around Natsu's.

She glided backwards, her white blouse and skirt fluttering in the wind as her strands of golden hair waved across her face. Natsu followed her dumbly, letting her lead him to wherever she desired. Lucy had to admit, Cana was right as she kept her eyes fixated on Natsu's, as did the boy with hers. She took a step, taking a moment to gaze behind her to make sure she did not trip over her own feet and to make sure that she was going precisely where she intended to take Natsu.

Once she passed through the threshold of the patio she finally let go of Natsu's hands. She stepped backwards as Natsu continued to follow her as though lost in a trance. She placed a hand upon his chest, stopping him in place as she took a few more steps back. She bit her lip, keeping her seductive glare upon Natsu as he could feel his heart start to race in his chest as he was beginning to suspect what Lucy was actually thinking.

"Lucy," he said softly.

"Natsu," she said, her eyes falling to the floor. She slid one of her hands up to the straps on her shoulders, pushing them to the side as she followed them down to her skirt and slid them off all in one motion. Natsu's heart nearly erupted in his chest as he laid eyes on the naked Lucy who stood there continuing to stare at him seductively.

"I think I'm ready, Natsu," she breathed as she walked over to him.

Natsu stood as stiff as stone. His heart was beating so quickly he was already out of breath. Lucy's naked frame glided over to him, she placed her hand on his cheek as she leaned in for a kiss.

"Do you want it?" she whispered in his ear as she began to unlace the straps on his forearms, letting his gauntlets fall to the ground.

Natsu reached up, tearing off the top of his armor, reveling his firm and sculpted chest to the blonde. Lucy stood on her toes as she kissed him once more, rubbing her palm along Natsu's chest, feeling him, touching him in a way she had never touched him before. Natsu grabbed her by the waste, pulling her deep and deeper into the kiss before he lifted her up with his arms, continuing to hold the kiss before planting Lucy on the bed.

He broke away staring into her eyes, lost in them as he brushed her bangs from her eyes so he continue to stare deep inside of her. Lucy in turn rubbed her own hand through Natsu's crown as the boy suddenly began to kiss her on the neck, using just a little teeth causing Lucy to erupt in pain and pleasure. His lips traveled down her naked body before coming back up and kissing her lips.

"Are you ready?" he whispered as she stared into her eyes.

"Yes," Lucy gasped, grasping onto his shoulders.

**A/N: I first and foremost want to say that I greatly appreciate all those who have taken the time to read this story, and to those that took their time to review. It means a lot and I'm sorry it took so long. But I felt like the reunion needed to be it's own chapter alone, so I hope you all enjoyed that for the most part.**

**FINALLY, I was going to upgrade this story to MATURE for the obvious scenes (which I'm certain the vast majority already know and/or have experienced). Or perhaps I should just do that chapter on it's own and put in MATURE and then you guys can read it separately if you want. Leave a comment or PM me to let me know.**


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Bad News and Worse News

The next morning Lucy peacefully woke up to the rays of the sunrise cascading through the window and shining onto her eyes. When she awoke she was still a bit dreary, her vision foggy as she could feel a slight soreness between her legs. She could see a figure lying asleep next to her. When her vision began to clear she could see that it was Natsu sleeping calmly next to her. It was all coming back to her, Natsu snoring softly next to her.

She giggled to herself as she watched him sleep; his nose just inches away from touching hers. She slipped her hand from underneath the sheet and touched his cheek, caressing it with her delicate, small palm. The touch of her hand caused the boy to slowly wake up. He yawned, stretching out his back before falling back to the bed before rolling to his side to face Lucy again.

"Morning," Natsu said to her through a deep breath blinking at her.

"Morning," Lucy answered back as she leaned in to kiss him.

"So, what we did last night . . ." Natsu said hesitantly as a blush crossed his cheeks.

"Yes?" Lucy giggled as she rested her hands under her head. She stared at him with those intoxicating chocolate eyes, and for a moment he forgot what he was about to say.

"So, what we did last night," he continued, he became a bit more flustered. "Do you think that we can do that more often now?" He asked her with an innocent eye.

Lucy burst out into laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. Natsu just stared at her with a blank expression.

"Maybe," she eventually managed to say through a burst of giggles. "But I feel a bit sore . . . you know, down there." She said as her eyes looked down before looking right back up at him.

"Oh, well, what's important is that I'm with you," he said. She smiled back and him as she could hear that he was sincere, but there was a hint of disappointment in his voice. She couldn't blame him either, after all she rather enjoyed the other night herself. She just wasn't sure if she was ready for another go around.

The two of them laid there together. Natsu pleaded with whatever forces there may be that this wasn't a dream. He just hoped that he wouldn't suddenly wake up and find himself back out on the road with Gajeel and Jellal. He closed his eyes, but when he re-opened them Lucy was still laying right there in front of him, glowing like a sunflower on a sunny spring afternoon.

Their peace didn't last long as there was a knock on the door. Lucy gasped as her face burst into a deep shade of crimson before slipping under the covers to hide herself as whoever was at the door did not wait to be let in before opening the door. Natsu looked up to see Gildarts leaning through the doorway.

"Hey Natsu good morning," he said rather sluggishly. "Lord Makrov wants to see you, Gajeel and Jellal at the fortress."

"Okay," Natsu yawned sheepishly.

Gildarts just grinned and turned around to leave. But just before he closed the door he peered back into the room, a beaming grin on his lips. "And a good morning to you as well, Lucy."

Lucy slowly poked her head from underneath the cover, her face still a slight pink with embarrassment as she offered the older man a coy smile. "Good morning Gildarts," she squeaked.

The older man continued to grin widely at her before shutting the door behind him. Lucy's face was still flushed with embarrassment as she slid back underneath the covers once more. Natsu laughed as he slid closer to her covered frame, wrapping his arms around the downy bundle that was Lucy and pulled her in close. She attempted to sliver away from him, but that only caused him to tighten his grip as he managed to slip his own head under the covers and find her soft smooth skin.

* * *

Meanwhile elsewhere in the city Cobra hid in the shadows of an alleyway in one of the poorer areas of the city. It was one of a few, and the streets were a bit more cracked and uneven unlike the rest of the city. The buildings were a bit older, constructed of some small brownish bricks with crooked windows. Rusty old gutters dangled along the edge, dripping water that had a greenish residue about it, which was odd since it hadn't rained that day, nor the night before.

Cobra stood by and waited. According to an informant, the snitch was living somewhere in this part of town. They told him that it was a young woman in her late teens or early twenties, but they never specified which. Cobra wore a old torn up brown cloak to mask himself as a beggar. This he hoped would draw away suspicion as to why he was crouched in the alleyway if anyone spotted him. He had waited there all night, just waiting to see a woman fitting the description walk out of the adjacent apartment building so he could follow her.

While Cobra sat outside waiting Kiana prepared herself for work. It wasn't that early in the morning, the sun had been up for an hour or too, but Mira was efficient. She ran that tavern with such conviction it was hard to believe that she was as sweet and delicate as her demeanor depicted her. Though Kiana wondered why Mira insisted on continuing to run the tavern despite her being married and that her brother was more than willing to take over for her.

She pampered her face in the mirror, a rather small piece of glass surrounded by faded brass. It was no bigger than a small clock. She had some difficulty to get a good view of herself, but somehow she always found a way to make herself look decent.

Her apartment was nothing more than a small room with a mattress with a quilt decorated with ivy leaves and flowers that rested on a raggedy wooden bed frame. She had one small window that provided the source of all light in the room and took up nearly half of her wall space. The only other furniture in the room was a chestnut nightstand that resided next to the bed and a dresser pressed against the opposite wall that though small was snugged tightly between the door and the corner. On top was her mirror, a glass vase with a single rose and large white candle.

Her short purple hair sagged just above her shoulders, her skin was a bit pale but it had a certain glow to it. She wore a whitish, pink blouse and a long violet dress. It really brought out her eyes and hair color, and though she thought she appeared pretty enough she topped it off with a straw sunhat wrapped with a blue cloth. She had been more discrete when she wondered around the city. She had the sense that someone had been following her. It wouldn't surprise her. She was leaking information to Makrov about the slave traders down south.

She stared at herself in the mirror for a minute before finally happy with herself. She let the apartment promptly. As she did so Cobra noticed a figure leaving the apartment. He couldn't see the face that was hidden in the shadow of the sunhat but he knew that it had to be a young woman from the delicate and skinny frame. That and the blouse and dress were an obvious give away.

He watched her as he stayed hunched in the corner of the alleyway. For a brief moment Kiana stopped and spun around to look behind her. Cobra morph back into the shadow, hugging his back up against the stone wall. Kiana continued walking onwards as Cobra prowled from around the corner and began to follow her. He made sure to stay close to the buildings so that he could duck behind any objects to hide.

He continued to follow her as she winded through the streets. As Kiana was walking she began to get the peculiar feeling that she was being followed. She stopped and turned around, but Cobra ducked behind the railing of a stone stoop waiting for her to continue walking again. Though Kiana didn't see anyone behind her she couldn't shake the feeling. She had felt it before, she had noticed men watching her every time she went to see Makrov, and though none of them actually approached her she was still worried. Maybe she was just being paranoid.

She continued to walk down the street still feeling a bit uncomfortable. This time she could certainly feel in her gut that there was someone following her. This time when she spun around she caught a glimpse of the tail end of a cloak as it wisped behind a wall. She could feel her heart race as she began to quicken her pace. She didn't take more than a few steps before looking back again. This time she caught the cloaked figure just two buildings down. She could not see his face but she knew he was staring at her.

Kiana gulped taking a deep breath before she turned around and began to go on a full on sprint down the road. She looked back to see that the cloaked man was chasing after her. She screamed out for help as she tried desperately to get away, but her sandals nearly caused her to trip over herself and she could see the man catching up to her with each and every step. Though she cried out for help no one else was in the street, nor did anyone even bother to come out to see what was wrong.

It wasn't long before Cobra was on Kiana's heels. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, the only thing that stopped her from falling down was that he pulled her towards him before grasping her other wrist.

"Let me go!" Kiana screamed as her sunhat flew off her crown and floated away.

"Who are you?" Cobra barked, pinning her up against the alleyway wall. He held a fierce scowl, but it slowly melted away as soon as he saw the girl's face.

"Please!" Kiana cried as she tried to wiggle free, her eyes shut as tears began to stream from her eyes. "Let go of me!"

"Kiana?" Cobra gasped as he let go of her. "Kiana is that you? You're alive?"

Astonished at the sound of her name Kiana stopped and opened her eyes to see that her attacker was just standing in front of her. Her vision was still a bit blurry from her tears, but she just wiped them away as she glared at the cloaked man in confusion.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

Cobra threw off his hood revealing himself to the still startled girl. She stared at him even more confused now as she observed him carefully.

"Who are you?" Kiana demanded through a trembled voice.

"Kiana," he said as he reached out for her cheek, only to have the girl pull her head away from him. "You really don't remember me?" Cobra sounded disappointed as he let his hand drop to his side.

She examined him closer, taking a step towards closer though she was still cautious. He didn't seem harmful at the moment, but she couldn't trust him just yet. She stared into his eyes as he looked away from her. She placed her hand against his cheek against her better judgment before she finally started to remember.

"Erik?" she gasped. "Is it really you?"

"Yes," he said. A weak smile crossed his lips as he looked down at her.

"You jerk!" She wailed as she began to beat on his chest with her small fists. "You scared me half to death you stupid psycho! What I don't see you in years and this is how you decide to finally meet me again?! Of all the stupid, insincere, boneheaded . . ." She tried to think of more words to call him but ultimately she couldn't think of any as she held her hands out stretched as though she wanted to strangle him right then and there.

"Hey!" A man shouted as he stepped out of his apartment building with another man. "What's the problem?"

"It's nothing," Kiana said shoving Cobra away from her. "Just a stupid practical joke an old friend decided to play on me." She sneered at him as she walked over to pick up her sunhat. Cobra watched her, but he kept his eyes on the other two me, reaching beneath his cloak on his belt where he had a long dagger strapped.

"You sure?" the man asked as he took a couple of steps towards Kiana.

"I'm sure. My friend thought it would be funny if tried to scare me by hiding behind a hood. But thank you anyways, gentlemen."

Cobra watched her make her way down the winding street, deciding to follow after her. He did not call her name, he did not utter a single word, but he grabbed her shoulders from behind and spun her around to face him. He could see that her face was still infuriated, as her face was as red as ripe cherries. She glared at him as she pried herself away from him.

"What is it?" she barked. "What do you want?"

"I need to tell you something," Cobra breathed heavily.

"I don't see you for years, you come running up on me like some street walking bandit startling me half to death, and now you just want to talk?" She hissed. "Erik, please just leave me alone. It's nice to see you again, and the gods know that I've missed you, but right now I don't want to see you. I don't want to talk to you. I want you to leave me alone!"

"I can't!" he shouted. "I can't leave you alone Kiana. You're in danger. There are people out to hurt you. If I had not known it was you I would have . . ." He stopped himself before he could finish the thought.

"You would have what?" She demanded as she stared at him with a fierce glare.

Cobra sighed to himself as he reached under his cloak to reveal a dagger. The sight of which cause the young girl to gasp to herself. She stared at the long shaft of metal, her eyes moving between the blade and Cobra. She was terrified now, her heart ceased to move as a chilling sensation erupted in her chest. She took a couple of steps back, shaking her head as she did so.

"Erik," she said his name as though she had swallowed something poisonous. "Why do you have that dagger? What were you going to do with it?"

"I was told to find the snitch that had been leaking information about Orecion Seis to Magnolia," he admitted. "I was sent her to exterminate whoever was responsible."

His eyes looked down in shame as he could see the horrorstruck expression on the girl's face. She was at a loss for words, her face as pale and white as an untouched blanket of snow on a mountainside. She slapped him. With such a ardent hand that the sound of the blow echoed through the city block. Her lips trembled as she slapped him with her other hand just as hard.

She continued to slap him as tears rolled down her cheeks. Cobra offered her no resistance as he let the wailing continue. Finally her hand began to throb with pain and swell up giving her enough incentive to stop. She breathed heavily, exhausted from the physical strain of pelting the young man with her hand. Cobra continued to stare at the ground, almost ashamed of himself.

"What happened to you?" Kiana sobbed. "When did you become such a monster?"

"Kiana," he said reaching out for her only to have his hand slapped away.

"Don't touch me," she wept. "Erik I don't know who you are anymore. When did you become a murderer?"

"I'm not," he said quickly. "I'm only do this for you."

"What makes you think I ever wanted this?" she cried shaking her head. "Just go Erik. Leave. Please."

"Kiana."

"LEAVE!" She roared through a shroud of tears. "Just go, Erik."

"I'm sorry," he Cobra sighed as he tuned to walk away. He picked up the dagger from his belt and tossed it aside. "I never meant to hurt you."

Kiana watched as Cobra walked away. She was still struggling to hold back tears. Once Cobra was out of sight the young woman fell to her knees letting the tears flow from her eyes. She sobbed into her hand, her cheeks were drenched in the salty nectar of her own tears. She felt sick, she just wanted to vomit onto the sidewalk, but she coughed it all back. The man she saw was not the boy that she knew. Something had changed him, he was just a shell of his former self.

'Erik, what has happened to you?' she thought.

* * *

Meanwhile back in at the Magnolian military headquarters, Makrov sat at a large mahogany desk in his office, staring out a window that overlooked the city. His mind was a buzz with thoughts that were streaming through his mind. Lying on his desk was a letter he received from Laxus telling him about the fall of Nirvit and the death of Robual. The news devastated Makrove. For one thing Magnolia had lost an important ally, but more importantly Makrov lost of a dear friend. Makrov wondered exactly how he was going to explain what happened to Wendy. The poor girl was so delicate, how could she handle losing everyone she knew and love at once?

Though that was not the worse of it, he had received another letter the previous day about rumors of Mila joining with Duke and his armies. Apparently the slave traders were very unhappy with Magnolian interference in their market and for the raids that Laxus and other companies had committed recently. This had to be Ivan's doing, Makarov just knew it. Duke was not old enough, nor wise enough to try and sway Mila into joining his own ranks. Though this would have to be a problem that he would deal with later.

The only good news he got from the letter was that he knew that Laxus was alive. The condition that Laxus was in, he was unsure, but as long as his grandson was alive and well. He expected Laxus to arrive soon, but for now he had other matters he had to deal with.

Makrov's thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock on his office door. He called out for whoever it was to enter, not diverting his eyes from the window. A guard stepped in and bowed his head respectively.

He was a skinny man with short cut black hair and dark eyes. His skin was a light olive shade and he wore the standard garb of Magnolia.

"Master Makrov," the man said with his head still down, "the prisoner is ready for interrogation whenever you are."

"Thank you Alzack," Makrov muttered as he stood up from his chair. When he plopped down to his feet he was now shorter than then he was sitting on the chair. He walked up to the young man and peered up at him, and even Alzack could see the distress in Makrov's eyes. "How is his current state?" The old man asked through a deep breath.

"He is awake, but he is still in critical condition sir," Alzack answered. Makrov walked by him and started to follow him.

Makrov made his way down the hallway, the empty corridors made of stone with Magnolian banners hanging along the walls next to open windows that allowed sunlight in to brighten up the winding hallway. He made his way down to a winding stairway that led down to the base of the fortress. He came upon a room in the hospital wing that was cut off from the rest of the building where an armed guard stood outside. Makarov nodded his head as the guard stepped to the side allowing Makarov and Alzack to pass.

There, lying in a bed was a man with bandages wrapped around his torso, with a bloodstain around the waste. Kurohebi laid there on his sheets motionless as he stared up at the ceiling while a nurse was busy wiping down his arm. Though he was a prisoner, Makarov refused to lock him in a cell down in the dungeons because of his condition. Though admittedly, had he not been in such a grave state, Makarov probably would not hesitate to send him to prison.

"They tell me you're finally in a good enough condition to talk," Makarov said as he walked up to the bedside. He was too short for his head was level with the man's bedside. Kurohebi refused to look down at the old man as he kept his eyes up front. "Either way, I want to know who you are and what you are doing here, and why you decided to attack Princess Lucy and her friends." Kurohebi did not respond to the old man, his eyes were locked up on the ceiling. "You targeted Princess Lucy specifically," Makrov continued. "Why was she your target? Who sent you?"

"I am nothing more than a common thief," Kurohebi responded. He finally turned so his snake like eyes stared blankly at Makarov. "Nobody sent me."

"Of course you were,' Makarov grumbled.

"Master Makarov," Alzack began. "What do you want us to do about him? We could try to interrogate him."

"You cannot!" The nurse protested. "He is in no condition to be moved, you'll only open his stiches and cause him to bleed once more, and I don't know if he can survive another bleed out."

"I understand," Makarov said to her.

It was then that he heard a commotion in the rest of the hospital wing. "Alzack can you go see what all the ruckus is about?" Makarov asked the young man.

"Yes sir," Alzack answered as he left the room. It wasn't long before he returned, his face a bit stunned.

"What is it?" Makarov asked.

"It's your grandson, Laxus, Master," Alzack answered. "He has just returned."

"What?" Makarov said a bit surprised himself. He hadn't expected Laxus to have returned to Magnolia so early. He did not waste another moment as he sprinted from Kurohebi's room and into the main hospital wing. There, amongst a group of doctors and nurses stood Laxus.

"Laxus?" Makarov shouted as he wondered over to the young captain.

Laxus looked up. He was in the middle of the rows of empty beds as both doctors and nurses tried to restrain him. He overpowered them with ease, refusing to be treated until he saw the old man. Even Freed and Brickslow tried to restrain their captain, but neither of them could fully control the young man.

"Laxus please," Freed said as he held Laxus by the shoulders. "You have to let the doctors look at your wound."

"I'm fine," Laxus shouted. "I have to report to the old man and let him know what is going on."

"Laxus!" Makarov shouted one last time as he approached his grandson. "I have already heard the news of Nirvit's fall. Now tell me, are you injured in anyway? You should let the doctors take a look at you."

"I am fine grandfather," Laxus snorted as he finally managed to shake the doctors off. "Freed and Brickslow are just worried about an minor flesh wound I received in Nirvit."

"It is not a minor flesh wound," one of the nurses growled. Freed grabbed a bandage that was covering his waste just above his hip.

Makarov winced as he could see the now gaping wound, now turned slightly black from dried blood. It had to be a few centimeters deep, but still enough that it was critical. Makarov couldn't understand how Laxus could even stand on his feet with such an injury let alone walk. It hadn't bee sealed, and Makarov only hoped that it had not become infected, but from the looks of it, it probably was.

"Laxus, listen to the doctors," Makarov said sternly. "You are in no condition to be wondering about."

"But grandfather—"

"Laxus, that is an order," Makarov said finally.

"Yes grandfather," Laxus sighed as he took a seat on one of the beds. Almost immediately after he had sat down, nurses and doctors removed his bandages and began to treat his wound. The blood had dried and they had to begin prep work of scrapping it off and sealing the wound.

Freed and Brickslow made their way over to the old man as the other nurses and doctors returned to work.

"Master Makarov," Freed said bowing his head. "So, you heard about what has happened in Nirvit?"

"Yes," the old man said nodding his head. "Laxus sent me a carrier pigeon explaining everything. However, he failed to mention his own injuries that he sustained in the battle." He glowered over in Laxus's direction, but the young captain was not paying any mind to his grandfather.

"Who else has returned with you?" Makarov asked.

"Unfortunately Master we were the only ones that managed to make it ot of Nirvit," Freed sighed. "It was nothing short of a slaughter."

"I see," Makarov sighed. "So things are only getting worse," he said. "I am sorry about your company."

"As are we," Freed answered. "But what do you plan on doing now? It's only a matter of time before Duke turns his attention to someone else."

"Not to mention that there are rumors of Mila joining in with Duke and his allies," Makarov sighed.

"Impossible?" Freed said bewildered. "Why would Mila join with Duke?"

"Because we have been interfering with the slave trade market," Makarov said.

"So, that compels an entire country to go war? Since when do governments care about certain markets? Wouldn't the war be more devastating to the economy than what we've been doing with the slave market?" Freed said.

"You underestimate the influence the market has in politics," Makarov told him. "Especially Orecion Seis. It may not even be the country's decision, but either way we cannot afford to let a neutral country become our enemy. Mila's trade alone could support our enemy's war effort, not to mention the abundance of ships they had."

Than an idea struck the old man. He remembered Kiana and how she had given them information about Mila and Orecion Seis. Maybe she would have a way for them to counter Mila, or somehow find a weak point in Orecion Seis that could potentially keep them out of the war. But the girl was not part of the inner circle, but maybe she knew somebody. Somebody that could help them. Otherwise, this war was going to be far more devastating than it was already turning out to be.

"I have an idea," Makarov finally said after thinking it over. "Freed, Brickslow, can you go retrieve that Kiana girl for me? You know, the young girl that works with Mira at Fairy Tail Pub?"

"Yes sir, right away," Freed said as he and Brickslow turned to leave.

There may be some hope, as small as it was, if there was even a sliver of a chance that Makarov could turn the tide in their favor, than he would take it. The war came before any of them were even prepared for it, and it only seemed like more countries will fall like Nirvit. Right now, they needed all the help they could get.

"And Freed!" Makarov shouted after the mossy haired man. "Tell Gildarts I need to see him!"


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

The Meetings

Laxus laid there in his hospital bed, starring up at the droll white ceiling while he listened to the other doctors and nurses in the room bustle about as they attended to their other patients. The clamor wasn't so annoying, after all what else was he expected to do. He managed to go a few weeks traveling on horseback with his gaping wound, but now that he was in a hospital bed with it stitched up and properly bandaged, he was expected to just sit around and do nothing. The ridiculousness of it all was astounding. But it was his grandfather's orders that he listen to his doctors and obey what they said, no matter how much he disagreed with them.

As he lay there staring up at the ceiling he remembered Freed explain that Makarov was having a council meeting with the others to determine what military action they should take next. Apparently there are rumors of Mila joining Duke's forces, and ultimately Laxus couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible for that. Not that he would apologize for interfering in the slave trade and disrupting much of Orecion Seis' operations. Those bandits and scum deserved it, but if it meant dragging more advisories into battle against his homeland, than maybe he sould have waited before taking action.

What more is that he realized that he didn't tell his wife, Mira,that he had returned home. He knew that if she found out about his injury and that he hadn't told her about anything that had happened, he was sure that he was going to get a mouthful. The mere thought of Mira standing over him with that terrifying glare that would sometimes replace the sweet innocent smile most people were accustomed to seeing, just caused the blonde captain to cringe. It was something that was inevitable, but for now he should just enjoy the peace and quiet while he could.

As he continued to lie there he overheard some of the nurses talking to one another about a prisoner that was locked in his own room at the other end of the hospital wing.

"So, what does Master Makarov plan on doing with that prisoner?" The nurse asked as she and the other nurse looked over some paperwork.

"I don't know." The other woman shrugged. "All I know is that Master Makarov plans on interrogating him about his attack on that Konvern girl that's been staying here. I think the Master believes that this man has something to do with Duke's men. I couldn't imagine why? Maybe it has to do with that Konvern girl after all."

"Though it's interesting to know that it was a woman that took him down," said the other nurse.

"I know, the girl's companion, that redheaded girl. What was her name? Emma?" The second nurse said as she thought about it. Laxus just sighed to himself. This conversation was just as annoying as it was insightful.

"Well anyways we should get back to the doctor's office and file our reports," the first nurse said. The two of them quietly made their way out of the hospital wing.

Laxus began to get more intrigued. He wondered what prisoner they were talking about. He would have to take the opportunity to find out. His grandfather, nor anyone for that matter told him about such a man. If it had anything to do with the war, he needed to know.

When the nurses left and the only other company except for the other patients, Laxus took the opportunity to find out exactly who this prisoner was. He winced as he sat up, the wound in his gut flaring up. He hadn't felt this much pain from it before today. Why was it hurting so much today? Regardless, he forced himself upright with a deep breathe as he swung his feet around and placed them on the cold tile floor. If sitting up was bad, standing became an even bigger chore. But pressing his hand on the mattress he managed to pull himself up right, just enough that he still had to lean against the bed frame to stay on his feet.

He staggered to the end of the room when he saw a guard standing in front of a door. The man stared sternly out into space as Laxus struggled to walk over to him. Obviously this must be the room where his grandfather was keeping the prisoner. The guard heard the sound of Laxus's footsteps and he looked at the half naked blonde captain coming towards him.

"Master Laxus," the guard gasped as he rushed over to assist the young captain. "What are you doing out of bed? Come sir, let me retrieve a nurse to help."

"No," Laxus said shaking the man off. "I want you to let me into the room to see the prisoner." Laxus ordered him. He glared sternly at the guard who just returned it with a blank gaze.

"I'm sorry sir, but I cannot," the guard said shaking his head. "Nobody is permitted to see the prisoner. Your grandfather's orders."

"And I am ordering you to stand aside," Laxus growled. The guard recoiled but he wouldn't step aside.

"I am sorry sir," the guard said standing his ground. Laxus was still intimidating, but not as much when he was walking around with a mass of bandages wrapped around half his torso. There was still some blood leaking through the white fabric. "I cannot allow you to go inside. So, please why don't you return to your bed sir?"

Laxus wheezed as he collapsed to his knees. "Very well," he struggled to gasp. "Go fetch me a nurse to assist me. I cannot walk on my own."

"All right sir," the guard said as he began to run back to the hospital wing. "Please wait here, sir. I'll return shortly."

With that the guard took off running down the hallway to find a nurse. Laxus watched him go and as soon as the guard was out of sight he breathed a sigh of relief and got back up to his feet. He wheezed as he stepped forward. He grimaced under the pain of the pressure on his hip but he did his best to ignore it. He made his way over to the door and entered into the room. There in the bed he saw Kuroheib asleep above the covers with bandages wrapped completely around his waist.

Laxus walked over to the bedside, half expecting the stranger to wake up, but the man was out cold. Maybe it was the medicine that caused him to be unconscious, maybe it was his own pain, or maybe it was because the man had nothing else to do while he was stuck in bed. Laxus noticed that Kurohebi's hand was tied to the bed frame with a chain. He didn't see the point, it wasn't like Kurohebi was going to go anywhere with that wound. He wouldn't even be able to make it passed the guard outside let alone the entire hospital wing.

"Hey," Laxus said as he shook Kurohebi. "Wake up." He ordered the man sternly. He shook him with such a pulse that Kurohebi was nearly knocked from his bedside.

"What?" Kurohebi slurred as he glared up at the person he had disturbed his sleep. He saw Laxus standing over him and grew as puzzled as he was furious by the sudden outburst. "Who in the plains of hell are you?"

"I am Laxus Dreyer, Captain of the Magnolia Guard and grandson of Makarov Dreyer; Lord of Magnolia. And who are you?"

"None of your concern," Kurohebi hissed as he closed his eyes. "I have nothing to say to you, Laxus Dreyer, Captain of the Magnolia Guard. Now how about you let me sleep in peace?"

Laxus growled as he grasped Kurohebi by the throat. "I don't think I made myself clear." He said as he glared menacingly at the prisoner. "I am not one who tolerates disrespect. Now I'm going to ask you, one last time politely; who in the names of the gods are you?" He let go of Kurohebi's throat so that the prisoner could speak. The bed ridden man coughed uncontrollably upon being released.

"You can't treat a prisoner in such a way," Kurohebi managed to growl through breaths.

"I can treat prisoners however I see fit," Laxus retorted. "Now tell me what I asked, otherwise your throat will be the last of your concerns." He hovered his hand over Kurohebi's wound. The prisoner's eyes went wide as he waved his hand up for the blonde captain to stop. "Tell me!" Laxus roared.

"My name is Kurohebi, I was sent to kill a girl from Konvern by my master. He did not tell me why, except that the girl was dangerous and needed to be dealt with," Kurohebi told him.

"You make it sound like you were sent on some type of mission dedicated that befitting a knight," Laxus grumbled. "You're no knight, nor are you a man of honor. No man who could call himself a man would dare try to harm an innocent girl. Then again, didn't you get that wound from another woman? She must be one hell of a girl if she managed to kick an assassin's ass so well."

Kurohebi was not happy to hear the remark as Laxus snickered at him. Though the moment was short lived as Laxus's slight grin melted back to his sinister scowl.

"So, now tell me who sent you?" Laxus demanded.

Kurohebi laughed but coughed under the pain of his wound. He smirked at Laxus. "I ain't telling you a thing," Kurohebi snickered.

"Very well," Laxus began to growl as he slammed his fist hard against Kurohebi's gut causing the man to let out a blood curling shrill as he rolled to his side clenching with at the wound with his free hand as blood began to soak through the bandages. Laxus was going to strike the prisoner one more time but was cut off as the door to the room was slammed open. The blonde captain turned around to see the guard from earlier, two nurses and a doctor standing in the doorway.

"Laxus?!" The doctor said startled as he ran over to stop Laxus from striking his patient one more time. "What are you doing in here? You should be in bed resting."

Laxus wrenched his hand away from the doctor, grumbling to himself. "This isn't over." Laxus told Kurohebi as he was escorted away by the guard and a nurse. "I will be back, and next time the doctors won't be there to save you."

"I can say the same for you, Laxus son of Ivan." Laxus spun around staring at the bedridden prisoner. "Oh, I know more about you than you do about me Dreyer. When we meet again, you will be the one on the unfortunate end."

"Says the man tied to the bed," Laxus snapped. The guard and nurse dragged him from the room. Laxus glaring at Kurohebi all the while. 'This isn't over,' Laxus thought to himself. 'Not even close.'

* * *

Later that afternoon Natus had dressed himself up in the armor he had received from Nirvit as he kissed Lucy goodbye and met with the others outside on the street. Gajeel was standing out with Jellal and Erza, all of whom were wearing their own armor. It was a special occasion and when it came to what Natsu believed to be a military council meeting so armor was a nice touch. That and admittedly it was the only ting besides rags that he owned.

When he stepped outside he met with the others as they all nodded their heads and began to make their way to the fortress. When the opportunity came up Natsu managed to lean in to Jellal and ask Jellal what Erza was doing there. He remembered her charge was to protect Lucy, so why was she traveling with them? And was she allowed to attend such a meeting?

Jellal told him that he originally insisted that Erza not go, that it was the three of them that had originally been called to go, but the redhead insisted back. There was no arguing with her, so reluctantly he had to let her come. The girl was as stubborn as a mule, but then again her stubbornness would even drive a mule insane. He had to admit that he was somewhat happy to have the girl tag along with them. He would get a chance to spend some more time with her, which was something he was looking forward to.

What more Erza was the one leading them. When did that happen? Jellal wondered, but that had always been Erza's forte. She would, and often did take control of every situation she was involved in.

When they arrived at the fortress at the heart of the city they spotted Gildarts standing out front staring at a group of young maidens who were out for a morning stroll. He smiled at them, winking occasionally, a gesture that caused the girls to giggle and blush as they waved at him. Natsu chuckled as he watched his old teacher, but Erza was not as impressed by the old man's flirting.

Unlike the others Gildarts was not wearing armor, but more casual attire. To anyone but Natsu it would be a surprise to see a man invited to an important military meeting wearing old, worn out leather pants and vest. A brownish cloak covered the rest of his body that at least had some more appeal to it. And by appeal it meant that it wasn't tattered or tearing. It was in one piece and still looked at least somewhat clean.

"Hey, Gildarts," Natsu shouted as the old man turned his attention away from the girls for a moment. Though he immediately regretted his decision as the girls continued to walk down the street. "I see you're just as proactive as always." Natsu grinned a wide toothy grin.

"Some of us weren't as proactive as others last night," Gildarts chuckled and winked as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"And what _exactly _does he mean by that?" Erza asked folding her arms across her chest as she raised an eyebrow at the two of them. Natsu and Gildarts snickered amongst themselves causing the redhead to become a both agitated and confused at the same time.

"Come on Erza," Jellal said attempting to offer her a calming smile. "Just ignore them and let's go." He began to walk towards the door, which Gajeel had already passed through.

"Perhaps you two should become more _proactive_ yourselves," Gildarts teased. "You look like the two of you could use it."

Erza was still a bit puzzled, but Jellal blushed a feverish red as he understood completely what they were talking about. He just did his best to ignore them and move on.

Gildarts led them through the fortress until they came to a chamber that was full of armed men that Natsu could instantly tell were men of high stature. Though they were all old men just beyond the age of warfare. Their armor was unlike the armor of normal guards and soldiers; theirs was polished and untouched by the weapons of conflict. They wore elegant capes of various colors, but mostly a cobalt blue. Natsu only assumed that the colors must have symbolized the countries the men came from. Each one held a helmet at their side with different insignias and markings along the sides that consisted of different animals and plants.

At the head of the table standing on a stool was Makarov, who despite his size was a man that commanded respect from everyone around him. In front of him outstretched on the table was a map of Fiore. The room was a buzz with muttering as all the high ranked military officers talking amongst themselves. Some of them turned to see the new members come in, and stared at them for a moment before returning to their previous discussions.

"Oh Gildarts!" Makarov managed to speak out as he saw the other old man. "Come and join us. Now that you're here we can begin the meeting."

Everyone in the room stood at attention. Natsu and the others found their own spots at the far end of the table in the only open space available. There were no open seats but all the older, more distinguished officers took their seats as the younger, yet not that much younger, officers stood upright behind their commanders. Natsu and the others were not fortunate enough to get a seat, but that wasn't a surprise.

"First and foremost, I like to thank everyone in attendance for being here today," Makarov said addressing the council. "As you all know we are in a dire situation with the current events unraveling throughout out continent. King Duke of Junelle's army has already sacked Nirvit, and has invaded further out west and south. And now on top of all that, we hear that Mila may be attempting to join forces with them. If this is the case Duke will not only have the largest army, but he will also have the largest navy with nearly unlimited resources at his disposal."

"How far in an agreement have Mila and Junelle reached?" One of the generals asked.

"The main perpetrators are not within the government of Mila, but rather the slave traders, Orecion Seis. From what we gather they are the ones who are in leagues with Ivan, Hand of the King. If this is the case perhaps we could swindle or find a way to have the government of Mila sever ties with Orecion Seis, as unlikely as that is." Makarov sighed admittedly.

"Though there is the possibility that we could destroy Orecion Seis and that would then complicate ties between Mila and Junelle." Gildarts said stepping in. "As we've already said, they seem to be the ones behind this whole situation and political aspect. So if we want to stop this union from happening, or at the very least prolong it as long as we can, we must find a way to bring down Orecion Seis and their entire operation. As of right now we have benefit on our side. There is currently a girl living in Magnolia who used to live and work within the organization itself. Her knowledge could give us an advantage."

"Yes but Kiana was only a slave working under Orecion Seis. It's not like she had authority or knew too much about what their projects and perceived plans were," Makarov said.

"But she could still provide us with information on who the higher ups within the organization are," Gildarts retorted.

"She's not the only one," Jellal said stepping up. All eyes in the room fell on him. He was used to the type of pressure, but the glares ranged from intrigued to confusion and even disgust. He could tell that some of the officers there were wondering exactly who he was, and why this young man thought it appropriate to speak up at such an important meeting without being permitted. Regardless Jellal continued. "There is another man who is tied to the inner circle of Orecion Seis here in the city."

"What? Where?" Makarov demanded. The eyes of everyone leered at the young lord.

"I don't know exactly at the moment," Jella said almost apologetically. "But I'm sure we can find him and question him if that would help."

"Excuse me," one of the officers interrupted shaking his head in bewilderment. "Who is this young man and why does he speak up as though he has any authority at this council. I mean look at him," he said holding up his hand as he stared at Jellal in disgust, "he wears some archaic armor, does that make him some sort of soldier? And what country and rank is he? Not to mention that he has brought children and a woman to such an important meeting. I am sorry Makarov, but this type of behavior should not and will not be tolerated here."

"My name is Jellal Fernandes, former Hand to the King of Juelle. My father was Faust, he too was the former Hand of the King back when he was still alive." The introduction was enough to startle all the officers present as they stared at him and with gaping mouths. "My associates are friends and companions who have been by my side for a very long time. And this woman you speak of, her name is Erza and she is my guard and Knight Protectorate," Jellal said sternly. Erza gazed at him and did her best to restrain the smile that was creeping on her lips. Though, unfortunately, the room of officers burst out into laughter.

"A woman serving as a knight? You cannot be serious young Jellal Fernades?"

"Why on Earth are you here in this council? Former Hand of the King? Former Hand of our enemy!"

"That will be enough of that," Makarov said. "Jellal has since severed ties with Duke and has come to join our side. You should show him some respect."

"Very well," one of the officers said. "But tell me Lord Jellal, or is it just Jellal now?" He said it rather snidely. "But tell me, do you know of any of King Duke's plans or strategies or plans you might want to share with the rest of us? It would probably do us all a good service if you were to tell us what actions Duke plans on taking next."

"I am sorry, I do not." Jellal shook his head.

"Than what good are you?" The same officer said as he sat back in his chair. "Nothing more than a petty boy with a woman as his personal knight. This is an insult to the rest of us Makarov, to allow them to attend this meeting. Does he expect us to take that woman seriously? I guess nowadays you can throw armor on anything and call it a knight right? Maybe I'll give my swine armor! I'll have my own fleet of pig knights!" The other officers burst out into laughter. "That will stop Duke and his armies! She's probably just some street girl that he picked up and decided to dress up."

Jellal took a step forward, his hand immediately grasping onto the sheath of his blade. He was ready to challenge the officer for his crude remarks about him and his friends, but he felt Erza grabbing onto his elbow and pulling him back. He turned to face her, his face was fuming with rage. He could see the sincere stare in the redhead's eyes as she simply shook her head. A single tear rolled down her cheek. He wiped it away, and though he knew Erza was probably right he could not let a remark like that go. He turned to start his uproar, but Erza pulled him back as Gajeel restrained him as well, wrapping his arms around Jellal's arms and waist.

"It's okay," Erza whispered softly, but Jellal could see that she was still upset. "There are more important matters to attend to."

Makarov could see just how upset Jellal was, and he too was a bit angry with the general's remarks, but for now they were just going to have to let it go. "Well now if we can back to the business at hand," the short elderly man said. "Jellal, if you could find this man and bring him to us, that would be a great deal of help. However, the more pressing matter is what to do about Duke's armies now? He has already taken most of the west and some of the south. It's only a matter of time before he heads up north."

"If his armies are divided, or if we can find a way to divide his armies we can attack his weakest core before they have a chance to move up north," Gildarts said as he pointed at the hypothesized position they believed Duke's armies to be at. "However, his forces are too large at the moment. He will most likely send troops down south to acquire the fleet of ships promised to him by Mila. If he does that, than we can find a way to attack one of his army outposts up in the north."

"Why don't we find a way to lead him away from the north," suggested one of the officers. "Direct his attention elsewhere. Somewhere he'll think would be an easy victory, something that he wouldn't consider using his entire force for."

"We can create a distraction somewhere else away so that he has no choice but to divide his army. Then, once he separates we pounce on his weakest position and outflank him. That should dwindle his forces down enough to give us a fair advantage in the outcome of this war," another officer said.

"That is a good point, we have to bait them into going after something that they really want," Gildarts interjected.

"And what would that be Master Gildarts?" The same officer asked.

"The young man standing at the back of the room," Gildarts answered gesturing to Natsu. Everyone turned to face the pink haired teen, and even Natsu himself was a bit startled by Gildarts' suggestion. "Gentlemen may I present to you Natsu, Dragon of the Konvern."

The eyes were focused on Natsu who found himself a bit perplexed that he had suddenly become the center of everyone's attention. He could see that most of them did not believe Gildarts' words, and the rest were just skeptical. Natsu stared at Gildarts who nodded at him, a nod that Natsu didn't really understand, but he figured it must have meant that he was supposed to prove that he was. In that moment Natsu let himself go, the surge of flame erupting inside of him as his eyes began to slit. A coat of scales formed around his eyes and on his skin that gave him a more reptilian appearance.

He could see how startled they all were but they all managed to keep their composure as Natsu let himself morph back to normal. Gildarts smiled and winked at his old apprentice. Natsu grinned back at him pleased with himself.

"Well that's interesting," another officer muttered. "So, what is you plan of attack, General Gildarts?"

"General?" Gildarts laughed. "I am sorry sir, but I myself and no general. But my plan is that we send Natsu, myself and some other soldiers out to be stationed somewhere out east or south. Make sure that Duke knows about it, and when he goes after Natsu we flank them with another battalion from the west."

"That plan sounds like it could work, but what makes you think that Duke would take the bait?"

"Because Natsu and the other Draconan children are the only other thing that Duke wants apart from absolute rule," Gildarts said. "He already sacked, and burned Nirvit just for a small child. And Natsu here just so happens to be the one person he wants to kill most in this world. Trust me, when it comes to Natsu and the other Draconans, that's exactly where Duke and his forces will strike next."

After the meeting the group left the room, after all the other officers had taken their leave. Makarov was still busy chatting amongst the others that he didn't have time for to talk to Natsu and the others. Gildarts followed him, much to Natsu's dismay, but his old teacher had other business to attend to and he would probably be free to talk with Natsu later. Though the boy was still a bit upset about it and it showed on his face.

Natsu and Gajeel took their leave behind everyone else. Jellal was behind them when he noticed that a certain redhead was not with them. He stopped and turned around to see Erza sitting at the end of the table.

"You guys go ahead," Jellal told Natsu and Gajeel. "I'm going to go see what's wrong with Erza."

"Okay," Gajeel and Natsu said as the two of them shrugged. They turned and left the hall leaving Jellal and Erza alone in the room together.

"Erza?" Jellal said quietly as he walked over to her. He heard her sniff as she looked away from him. "Erza?" He said concerned as he sat down next to her. "Is everything all right?"

"Just leave me alone," Erza uttered through another sniff as she continued to look away from him.

"Come on," Jellal said grabbing her shoulder. "Talk to me."

"Just leave me alone Jellal," she sobbed.

Erza yanked her body away from him as she stood up knocking her chair over. Jellal could see that she was definitely more than upset. He could hear her crying just a bit. Now the young man was incredibly worried as he felt his heart cringe in his chest.

"Erza, please." Jellal said as he grabbed her and turned her around to face him. Her cheeks were puffy and pink, her eyes watery as she did her best to avoid eye contact with him. "Tell me what's wrong."

"It's nothing." Erza quipped.

"Erza!" Jellal snapped. He had never seen her like this before. What could have gotten into her?

"It's just—" she paused for a brief moment before continuing. Taking in a deep breath. "It's just what that jerk said about us earlier. I just . . . I just can't stand men like him. And not only him, but there is no one, nobody that believes in me."

"I do," Jellal whispered as he wiped away one of her tears. "I know what you are capable of. There is more valor in you than all the other men in this room combined. I have seen you overcome every obstacle in life. You are strong Erza. Don't let what that man said bother you."

"Just leave me alone," she said quietly as she shook him off.

"No," Jellal as he grabbed her by the chin and turned her face so she was staring into his eyes. Their faces were only inches away from one another, as Jellal felt his heart race in his chest; his eyes falling onto Erza's lips before looking back up into her eyes.

"Jellal what are—" Erza began to say but it slowly faded as she saw Jellal's lips moving towards hers, and she towards his.

Nothing more was said as the two of them closed their eyes locked their lips together. The touch of Erza's lips upon his was satisfying. As though he was weightless and his body had evaporated into the air. It was warm and it just felt all too right. He wondered why he had never done it before. Instinct took over as Jellal grabbed Erza by the waist as he pulled her in deepening the kiss, pressing her body as tightly against his as he could. Erza wrapped her arms around his neck, grasping him by the back of the head and pulling him into her. Soon Jellal felt the urge to breath, but he didn't want to break away. No, he would rather die than separate from her.

Erza finally slipped away, letting their lips separate gently. She inhaled a deep breath as she slowly began to open her eyes. Jellal did the same as his eyes lingered in hers. Their arms still nestled around one another as Erza's glided up and down his hair as his cradled her. It wasn't the same when wearing armor, Jellal couldn't really feel her body and the warmth of her skin. But this was enough for now. He was with her and that was the only thing that mattered to him. He leaned in for another kiss and though Erza was tempted she forced herself to back away.

"Erza?" Jellal said blinking in mystification.

"We can't," she said shaking her head. "We shouldn't." She ran out of the room.

"Erza?" Jellal called out to her. "Erza!"

**A/N: I appreciate everyone's reviews and responses about what to do about the potential "Mature" chapter. As I already showed in my last chapter I clearly didn't go the dirty, I have to shower after I write this because I feel so ashamed, route. It was mixed so for right now I will write the clean version of this story and continue to publish it as is. Maybe I'll do the Mature chapters as oneshots in the Mature section (except they would all be under one story), but I just need some more time to think about it to be sure.**


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

The Chase and the Plan

Natsu and the others exited from the fortress leaving the most of the officers and other men from the meeting remained in the fortress for further discussions while others returned to their encampments or countries. Natsu and Gajeel stood outside the main gate as they waited for Jellal and Erza. Gajeel sagged against the wall as he stared off into the distance allowing himself to be lost in his own thoughts. What they were, Natsu could not gander a guest, but he himself was a bit agitated with Gildarts. He loved his old mentor dearly but he was angry that the man had dragged him to a council meeting the day after he arrived into the city and now he was expected to leave once more. After he had just reunited with Lucy. Was he being forced away from her again? He didn't want to leave, not yet, not after spending months away from her and knowing that now, after so many years of hiding their relationship, that they could be together. He refused it.

He spotted the old man gliding towards him, a more than less enthusiastic grimace upon his brow. Natsu wondered what it was that was bothering Gildarts, but he was also beginning to wonder where the hell Erza and Jellal were. But for now he would have to uptake his grievances with Gildarts while he had the chance. He wanted to tell him off for even suggesting that he leave Magnolia on such short notice.

"Natsu," Gildarts said as he approached the young pink haired teen. "What's wrong with you?" He noticed that Natsu seemed to be a bit upset. The boy glowered up at the old man with his arms folded across his chest. Gildarts just cocked an eyebrow awaiting an answer.

"Why are you getting me involved in this war?" Natsu asked him.

"I thought you would enjoy the fight," Gildarts answered. "Why wouldn't want to get involved? I thought you hated Duke, and I thought you would want to help. Otherwise, why else are you here?"

"I'm here because Lucy is here," Natsu growled. "I have no interest in this war. I would love nothing more than to take Duke's head personally, but I won't leave Lucy behind. You're asking me to get up and leave after I spent so much time looking for her, and that's something I cannot do."

"I see," Gildarts sighed rubbing his chin. "So you don't care about what happens to you then?" Natsu just stared at him blankly. "You say you care so much about Lucy. You want to protect her don't you?"

"Of course," Natsu answered. "I would give my life for her."

"I see," Gildarts said with a deep breath. "Then what will you do when Duke and his armies come from her? You know that Magnolia is at war with Junelle right now? That Duke and his armies will eventually come to Magnolia, and you think that if he gets the chance that he won't attempt to harm Lucy if he gets the chance? What will you do then? You think you can take on all of Duke's armies on your own to protect her? Natsu, I know you are strong, but you are not that strong."

Natsu sighed as he licked his chops and averted eye contact with the old man as it was now Gildart's turn to leer at the young man. Natsu knew that Gildarts was right, even though he didn't want to admit it. Now that he realized that Gildarts was right, and even though Natsu wasn't originally against the idea of fighting against Duke, the idea of being torn away from Lucy was just too disheartening for him. Not now at least, maybe if he had a little bit more time with her. But he has only been there for a day, that just wasn't enough time.

"I guess you're right," Natsu sighed in defeat. Gildarts smiled calmly at the young boy, knowing just how dishearten the boy really was. He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder as he chuckled to himself. He had to admit that he admired the boy's compassion for the girl. The love between them was strong and had always been since he had watched the two of them grow up together. Perhaps the boy had a point, and maybe the old man was being a bit brash having the boy go off to fight only a day after he arrived.

"Listen Natsu," Gildarts began scratching the back of his head. "I wouldn't do this unless it was absolutely necessary in your better interest. Right now, we're all in trouble, and we might be in even more trouble now that this whole Mila-Junelle alliance is being formed."

"Speaking of that," Gajeel said as he slumped off the wall. "Natsu, shouldn't we go off and find Cobra?"

"Cobra?" Gildarts said puzzled. "Who is Cobra?"

"He's someone within the Orecion Seis organization," Gajeel answered. "He was also someone that we just so happened to have traveled with since we were in Mila ourselves."

"Is this true?" Gildarts asked.

"Yes," Natsu said nodding his head.

"Why didn't you speak up during the meeting?" Gildarts said more than a bit enthusiastically.

"When were we going to get the chance to speak out during such a meeting?" Gajeel grunted. "None of those men would hear what we had to say. Even if we said we knew someone within the inner circle, nobody would have listened to us."

"True," Gildarts admitted. "But this is still something that we should talk about and handle. I'll talk to Makarov about this and see how he wants to proceed since this is a very delicate situation. I think you boys might actually made the wise decision not speaking up during the meeting afterall. If the suspect, Cobra as you call him, trusts you and you deliver him to us, than there won't be any raised suspicion from him."

Gajeel opened his mouth to respond but before he had a chance to speak they heard footsteps as Erza went running by them. "Erza," Natsu called to her but the redhead responded with nothing, nor did she even glance at them as she continued to run down the cobblestone streets. The three of them watched her, each as confused as the other. They stared after her before turning their confused gazes at one another.

"What's gotten into her?" Natsu said out loud. He peered back up at Gildarts with a cocked eyebrow.

"No idea," Gajeel answered instead of the old man.

In a short while they heard the similar footsteps coming from behind them as they turned around to see Jellal sprinting towards them. "Hey guys," Jellal said a bit out of breath. "Have you seen Erza?" The three of them looked at one another before they simultaneously pointed down the road. "Thanks," Jellal said nodding his head as he chased after her.

"What's gotten into him?" Natsu asked.

"The same thing that's gotten into her," Gajeel answered.

"No, you're both mistaken," Gildarts said. "From what it looks like, it's Jellal who's trying to get into her, but she's worried about the whole issue. There's a complication from their relationship, and she's not ready to take it to the next step just yet."

"You think he'll make it?" Gajeel asked.

"If there's one thing I'm an expert in, its conducting strategy capable of overcoming complicated situations in covert operations, and women," Gildarts answered.

"That's two things," Gajeel said.

"Oh . . . no young Gajeel." Gildarts shook his head. "It is not."

Jellal ran down the road, his mind was blank yet his feet continued to carry him. He ran down block after block, by building after building, realizing he had no idea where he was going before he came to a stop. He took in a couple of deep breaths as he looked down the streets seeing numerous other people wondering around and going about their day, but not redheads in armor. He just had to find Erza, but the problem was, he had no idea where he should start looking. Back in the meeting room he was still confused on what he was going to do. He had no idea how long he stood there debating with himself about whether or not he should chase after her, but he decided to. And now it seemed like he waited too long.

That was until he spotted a familiar dark haired boy with armor walking about with a whited haired boy that was a couple of years older and who wore a blue cape with his armor and a blue haired girl. He didn't know who the white haired man was, but he was wondering what Juvia was doing with Gray. They were shopping at the market, and he noticed that the blue haired girl was a bit clingy with Gray while the white haired boy was offering her flowers that he was looking at by a nearby vendor.

"Hey Gray," Jellal said out of breath as he ran up to them. "Have you seen Erza anywhere?"

"If she's not at the house then she might be at the pub," Gray told him.

This was not the answer Jellal was looking for. He thought that maybe that's where she went, but from the directions he received from Natsu and the others it was clear that she did not head back off in that direction. He sighed thanking them, but just before he was about to leave he heard Juvia speak up.

"Actually I think I saw where she went." The blue haired girl squeaked.

"Really? Where?" Jellal asked.

"I think I saw her run down that street," Juvia said pointing. She didn't seem to sure herself, but it was enough for Jellal. "At least I think it was her. She was a redhead wearing armor, so I'm fairly confident."

"Thanks Juvia!" Jellal called out to her as he ran down the same street. He had no idea where he was going, but then he though he saw something. A glimpse, a fleck of light in the distance that looked just like glimmer off of armor. Above it was a wave of cherry hair, as red as a fading sunset. It had to be her.

As he ran the street finally melted away into a lovely white sand beach. He was a bit surprised that he had run all this way. He still couldn't believe it, peering back to see the large fortress standing a top the higher hill overlooking the rest of the city. There wasn't time to think about that now as he looked back around the beach for the redhead. He finally spotted her familiar figure hunched over on a isolated hill of sand overlooking the water. The waves gently brushed against the moist sand at her feet.

He sighed a breath of relief. Though he found himself panting as the sudden realization of tiredness over took him and his legs began to wobble underneath him. How long had he run, he did not know but it was all catching up to him now. His heart was pounding so rapidly he could feel it throughout his entire body; each thud and echoed through his entire frame like a violent drum beat. His throat stung and burned with every ounce of air he sucked in through his mouth and nose. His skin was now soaking wet with sweat from the heat of the summer sun and the thick metal armor that adorned his body.

He was exhausted, feeling the blood course through his veins, like acid burning through his skin. He struggled to breathe; every gasp of air was like sucking down sandpaper. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead and down into his eyes and onto his neck. It didn't matter to him now, it didn't matter how worn out his body felt, he forced himself to move forward regardless. She was right there, just in front of him and there was no way he was going to stop now.

"Erza," he said softly as he wondered over to her.

"Kya!" The girl squeaked in surprise. Jellal blushed as he stared at her. Never had he heard Erza make such a cute noise before. He didn't even know that she was capable of it. "Jellal?" Erza said flustered yet a bit angry. "What are you doing here? And why are you sneaking up on me?"

"I followed you," he told her.

"That's not creepy at all," she said sarcastically rolling her eyes. "Jellal I don't know what happened between us back there, but it can't happen again. So please, just leave me alone for now."

"No," he told her as he slumped down into the sand beside her. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Jellal," Erza sighed his name as though his name left a bitter taste on her tongue. She closed her eyes, acting as though she had a headache. When she opened her eyes to finish her thought, she could see that Jellal was only inches from her face as his hand wandered up and cuddled her cheek. The redhead found herself blushing like crazy as Jellal leaned further in and kissed her.

Erza's eyes went wide, but she slowly but they became heavy as the lids began to slowly fall shut. Her hand was weary, like a heavy weight was restricting her movements, but she ultimately managed to guide her hand up to Jellal's cheek and shove the un-expecting and bewildered noble away. "No," she said as she tore herself away from him. "We can't."

"Why not?" Jellal asked.

"Jellal," she said standing to her feet as she glared at him. "You're a nobleman and I'm a peasant. Do you think that we could ever be together? What do you think would happen to your title and rank? You would lose everything if we did decide to be together."

"I don't care about any of that!" Jellal snapped as he leapt to his feet. "Those mean nothing to me. I don't care about titles, or land. I don't care about my nobility or ranks. None of that is as important to me than you. You are the one thing I care about most than anything in this world."

"Don't be stupid!" Erza spat. Though her face had grown a bit red from both embarrassment and flattery. "I'm not asking you to give up anything for me!"

"I already gave up everything for you," Jellal snapped back. The girl recoiled as she stared at him stunned. "Erza, the moment I made you my knight I already put my entire life in jeopardy, but I never would have second guessed it. You think I care about my nobility? I'm not even a noble any more. I threw it all away and I don't regret it for a second. And even if I hadn't thrown it away already, I would gladly give it all up again for you."

Erza stammered looking away from him, biting her lip. Jellal gazed at her, all the while thinking about how cute the redhead was when she was flustered. It wasn't like her; it just wasn't her character to be all shy and coy. He had to admit that he liked this Erza better than the one that he was accustomed to. He could feel his heart racing as he glided over to her smiling a sly grin. He reached out to her chin and with the tips of his fingers he lifted it up so that her eyes met his own. Her face blushed a bright pink like spring roses.

"Fuck land, fuck titles and fuck ranks," he whispered as he leaned in closer to her. "You're the only thing I care about."

In one swell breath Jellal brought his lips down upon hers. This time Erza didn't resist his touch, and she made no attempt to pull away. She closed her eyes as she pressed her body into Jellal's as she felt his hands snake around her waste. Her own hands wondered up Jellal's torso to his upper back around his shoulders as she pulled him in deeper. To Jellal her lips were sweet and smooth, like the finest wine. Once they broke away for air the two of them lingered in one another's eyes before continuing.

After several moments they two of them broke away again. Erza pulled her hands away as she grasped Jellal's hand in hers and led him over to the hill she was sitting at and sat down. The young noble took a seat next to her. The redhead smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder. Her fragrance filled Jellal's nostrils; a strong smell of cream and cinnamon. She was intoxicating, but now he would just relish the moment of being with her.

"Hey Jellal," Erza whispered into his ear.

"Yeah?" The young noble asked before kissing her on the forehead.

"You smell," she giggled. The young man couldn't help but laugh along with her as he brought his lips back down upon hers.

Elsewhere in the city Gajeel and Natsu were waiting for Jellal and Erza to come back. When they realized that the two of them weren't going to return anytime soon, they decided to make their way back to their residence. Gildarts told them that he would meet them at the pub later that day, but for now he had his own business to attend to. Natsu just shrugged, and he just looked forward to seeing Lucy once more.

Before the two teens could leave the fortress a young man came running up to the two of them. Natsu and Gajeel noticed that he wasn't wearing any armor, but instead the robes of a squire. The boy couldn't have been more than a couple of years younger than either of them. "I'm looking for Gajeel," the boy said between pants. He stared at the two of them half expecting an answer.

"I'm Gajeel," the black haired teen answered as he leered down at the young squire.

"I have a message from you," the young boy said handing Gajeel a letter.

"From who?" Gajeel asked as he took the parchment from the boy.

"I do not know," the boy answered as he tried to peak at what the letter said. "It arrived the other day with the name Gajeel written on it. I asked around and they said that you had just arrived yesterday. I was told that I could fine you here." Gajeel said nothing as he opened the paper up as his eye darted through the paper.

"What does it say?" Natsu asked.

"I don't know," Gajeel said as his eyes lingered over to his fellow Draconan. "I can't read." He handed Natsu the paper half expecting the other boy to be able to do what he could not.

"What?" the pink haired boy said as he eyed the parchment and then leered up at Gajeel. "I don't know how to read either."

"How do neither of you know how to read?" The squire blurted out as he leered at the two of them. He was a bit bewildered to see the blank stares on either Draconan boy's face."Aren't the two of you knights?"

"No," Gajeel said nonchalantly shaking his head. "But do you mind?" Gajeel looked at Natsu as the pink haired boy offered the young lad the parchment. The squire sighed as he took the paper from Natsu's hands and looked at it. He gazed up at them still in a bit of disbelief before he decided to finally read what the letter said.

_Gajeel,_

_ By the time you receive this, Sting and I will be halfway to Draconia. We managed to take refuge in a small village a little ways out of the east of Magnolia for now. We've been weary of being spotted by Duke's scouts, but it seems that there hasn't been much stirring around these parts, but the people are clearly afraid. They fear that war will come to their villages. They fear that they will lose their homes, their families and everything they own and possess._

_ We may not be in contact again until we arrive in Draconan territory. But we will try and send you another letter just before we venture into the country. Tell Natsu everything that you have read and let him know what we are doing. If it turns out to be safe for us, we'll send a letter to let you. Then maybe we can finally escape and not have to get involved in this war. But until then stay safe._

_ Rogue._

When the squire finished he handed the paper back to Gajeel without uttering another word. Natsu and the other Draconan teen both exchanged glances of concern. The squire peered up at the two of them wondering what the whole point of the letter was about, but he was too young and he was in no position to ask questions. Or at least that's how he was supposed to ask but that didn't stop the boy from speaking out.

"So who are these two men and why in the name of the gods would they willingly travel to Draconania?" The boy asked staring at them skeptically. "Don't they know how dangerous it is?"

"Romeo!" A voice called out to the young squire as he spun around to see an elderly man with a greased back hair and even thicker mustache that adorned his lips, just below the nose approached. He wore armor, but not that of a high ranking officer, but more of an average knight with some authority. "What are you doing bother the other officers? You should know better to show some respect to those who out rank you."

"I'm sorry father," the young squire sighed as he peered away. "It's just that—"

"No buts." The old man said holding up his hand to silence the boy. "You should return to the stables and attend to the horses for now. What business these gentlemen have is theirs, and what business you must attend to is yours. How else do you expect to be knighted if you're always skipping out on your chores and duties? You know Sir Wakaba may be a close family friend, but even he has his limits when it comes to insolence."

The young boy sighed bowing his head and apologizing to Natsu and Gajeel before leaving. The three of them watched as he trotted off towards the barracks before the boy's father looked back at them. "I apologize for my son's rudeness," he said. "So tell me who you boys are. I noticed that your armor is not from here, but rather Nirvit. Which is interesting since the two of you don't appear to look like your natives. Then again, as I recall from the meeting you are Natsu, of Konvern correct?" He asked pointing at Natsu.

"That's correct sir," Natsu answered.

"Well that's good," the older man said smiling. "My name is Captain Macao, officer in the Magnolian Crops. It looks like you and I might be working together soon under Gildarts' command. Seems like he knows he knows you from before. Were you his squire?"

"No, Gildarts was just my mentor growing up. He was hired to train me to become a soldier for King Jude's army. I was supposed to work for King Jude until Duke overthrew him and took control of Konvern. After that I escaped with Gajeel and Jellal and came up here." Natsu told him the story. "Though I was never a squire or anything like that. I was just a slave."

"I see," Macao said rubbing his chin. "Well that is an interesting tale. Well anyways I won't take up any more of your time. But I'll be seeing the two of you very soon I'm sure."

"Yes sir," Natsu said bowing his head in return.

With that Macao took his leave as Natsu and Gildarts began their long walk home. Gildarts on the other hand was busy saying farewell to the other officers and commanders along with Makarov. The old man sighed a breath of relief as all the military officials were gone. It's not that he didn't mind seeing them; it was the strain and stress that came with the bureaucracy that came along with it all that he did not like. But thus in the time of war must these things pass.

"Well now that that's finally over, I guess I should start preparing for my own mission, huh?" Gildarts sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. He missed the days when he could just train and prepare soldiers for battle rather than partake in it himself.

"Not just yet," Makarov told him. The old man looked up at his compatriot. "Gildarts, I want you to find Kinana and bring her to me. I want to see if she knows anything else about Orecion Seis that could help us."

"Master," Gildarts said hesitantly but continued anyways. "I was just talking to Natsu and Gajeel and according to them they know of a Orecion Seis agent that's currently in the city."

"What?" Makarov blurted. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"It didn't seem like the ample time until now," Gildarts said.

"So then what do they know? Do they know where he is at? Do they know why he's here?" Makarov asked.

"Not exactly," Gildarts sighed. "But we can ask them if they can go and look for the man if you want. But I would much rather see if we could use Kiana for the operation instead."

"What? Why?" Makarov asked.

"Well Kiana is quite the cutie on her own right," Gildarts said. "Most people around her tend to drop their guard, and that gives her a distinct advantage over having a couple of men try and weasel information out of someone. Besides, you can never underestimate the power of a woman. They have capabilities that us men may never understand, and that we can only dream of possessing."

"Well, that most certainly is the truth," Makarov chuckled. "Do you think it will work?"

"I don't know." Gildarts shrugged. "But I think it would be a better option than the alternative. Especially in such a delicate situation. And worse comes to worse, we go with interrogation."

"But shouldn't we be weary if the agent recognizes her?" Makarov asked.

"Would that not be better?" Gildarts asked. "People are far more comfortable relaying information to those that they know."

"Then I would say that Natsu, Gajeel and Jellal would be better suited to the task," Makarov said.

"Maybe you're right," Gildarts sighed. "But I still think my idea would work better."

"Very well," Makarov sighed. "We'll try it your way. But are you sure that Kiana will go for it?"

"I'm sure she'll be completely fine with it," Gildarts said smiling widely. "Trust me."

**A/N: Sorry guys, had to travel, work, move (which I'm doing again in a couple of days) and then on top of all that I lost internet. So, again sorry about the wait.**


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

The Plan of Action

"You want me to what?!" Kiana yelled furiously as she picked up a tray of empty beer mugs and walked back to the bar. Gildarts followed her as she stormed away, like a wounded puppy seeking help.

"Told you she wouldn't go for it," Natsu chuckled as he rested his cheek against his fist as Gildarts walked up next to him. He observed everything that was going on from his seat at the bar while Gajeel sat next to him.

"Shut up Natsu," Gildarts sighed annoyed as he shook his head. He was beginning to get a headache from all this arguing. "Kinana won't you please reconsider?" He pleaded with the young girl, his eyes almost begging her to reconsider.

The purple haired girl glared at him as she walked on behind the counter. Mira stood at the center watching the two of them at the same time. The other patrons of the bar had their eyes on the two of them, some of the men snickering as they thought Gildarts was pursing Kinana for company during the night, but he was just getting the rejection. Mira was beginning to get annoyed while Natsu and Gajeel stared at one another with both amusement and pity.

"No," the girl grumbled as she picked up the beer mugs and threw them into a sink of water, splashing the soapy liquid onto the floor and her apron. She proceeded to pour new cups of beer and take the tray to their tables. Gildarts followed her, pleading even more that she reconsider the offer, only more so now. The girl slammed the mugs onto the table angrily as she looked back and continued to tell him, "No."

The onlookers continued to giggle amongst themselves as Kinana continued to pick up the remaining empty mugs. She glided through the snickering crowd as Gildarts persisted. Natsu and Gajeel were hoping that Gildarts would finally give up but the old man was persistent. She wanted to tell Gildarts to stop, but unfortunately she was busy with the other customers at the moment. Gray sat at a booth with Juvia and Lyon, all of which were equally as confused, but Gray just didn't seem to care all that much as Juvia snuggled up to him.

The boy retracted away from her as the girl looked up with him with sad puppy dog eyes. It appeared that Kinana was not the only person in the pub who was annoyed with someone else.

"Kinana please, if you could just help us out this one time," Gildarts begged.

"No," the girl snapped as she scampered back to the back of the pub and to the back door. She slammed it in his face as she disappeared behind the oak wood. Gildarts just sighed in defeat as he slumped his way over to the bar and sagged in his chair. Mira walked over and handed him a beer, smiling her same friendly grin as she placed a mug of frothy beer in front of him.

"So, mind telling me what all that was about?" She asked placing her hands on her hips. She leered at the old man with dissatisfied eyes as he slouched under her glare.

"He's trying to convince Kinana to do some spying for Makarov," Natsu told her. The old man looked at him with a cocked eyebrow but he wasn't about to start another argument with someone els.

"Gildarts don't you know better than that?" Mira said disapprovingly. She pouted her lips as she leered down at him. That same gaze that always made the man feel uneasy. She may have been sweet and innocent most of the time with a smile that could light up the room, but when she was upset, it could be just as devastating. "I wouldn't think you'd be one to stir up trouble; especially with Kinana. You know she's a delicate girl."

"It's important Mira," Gildarts told her as he hunched over his own mug twirling the ale inside along the rim. "You know I wouldn't do it unless it was really important. And she's the only one that can help us at the moment. There are other ways around this, but it's the only way that would make it easier on everyone."

"And what is this job that you need her to do?" Mira asked as she leaned forward to eye level with Gildarts. The old man looked at her directly into her pupils. She moved forward just a bit, but it was enough to cause the man to shutter back.

"Just talk to somebody for us," Gildarts answered coyly as Mira didn't seem all that pleased by her answers. "I mean she is someone who could be a bit more persuasive when it comes to certain subjects. I'm surprised that she was so sensitive to the subject. Especially when I mentioned that the person in questions name."

"Well then perhaps you should just let it go?" Mira said as she stood upright with a fierce scowl upon her lips.

"Mira do you think you could talk to her for us?" Gildarts asked, oblivious to Mira's disapproval. Mira cocked an eyebrow at him as she stood up glaring at him folding her arms across her chest.

"I'm not going to force Kinana to do anything she doesn't want to do," Mira said as she placed her hands on her hips. "That poor girl suffers enough as it is. I don't need you forcing her into anymore trouble." She took a deep breath. "Natsu, can you please talk to him for me?"

She looked down at the seat next to the older man only to see that the chair was in fact empty. Her eyes darted around the bar and she even discovered that Gajeel happened to be missing as well. This wasn't good. "Where did they go?" She asked annoyed.

"I don't know," Gildarts said taking a drink from his mug. "Maybe they went to go spend time with their special lady friends. I know that's what Jellal is doing right now."

"And who might Jellal's special lady friend be?" A feminine voice said as Cana took Natsu's former seat next to her father. She smiled a wide wicked grin as her eyes lingered on him. "I know it's not Lucy, after her night of passion with Natsu. I hope she remembered the lessons that I taught her. It must be that redhead, Erza. She always seemed to have a thing for the man."

"Please don't tell me you corrupted that sweet innocent girl," Gildarts sighed into his mug. "I knew I should have never let you around her."

"Corrupted? There was no need for me to corrupt the girl," Cana giggled. "That _sweet innocent_ girl was always a fiery little minx deep down. I just helped her discover her who she really was under all that prim and proper princess attire." Gildarts just rolled his eyes as he drained the last of his beer. Cana giggled even more to herself as she leaned into her father's ear. She had trouble controlling her laughter but she finally managed to pull herself together to whisper, "And I'm sure your young ward Natsu is the happiest one of all to have the new and improved Lucy around."

Gildarts choked on his beer as Cana laughed to herself a single tear emerged from the corner of her eye. In one fell swoop she downed an entire pint of beer before slamming the empty mug onto the counter top. Mira sighed to herself as she watched the two of them. But then her curiosity about what happened to the two Draconian teens began to bug her again. She hadn't known them for long, but she had an idea of what they were like through conversation and when she met them the other day. They seemed nice enough, but they were young men, and she knew as well as anyone that young men couldn't always be trusted no matter how gentleman like they appeared. Not that she expected them as thieves, but young men were always different when women were involved: so much different.

Meanwhile the two Draconans sent out to finish the jobs themselves since it seemed that Gildarts wasn't going to be able to do it. Natsu told Gajeel to go off and find Jellal while he went off to find Kinana. He suspected that the young noble was probably with Erza back at either their home or at the woman's lodging. Though it was more Gildart's idea that Jellal would be found there after what he saw earlier that day. The old man didn't give them an answer as to why, but Natsu trusted him enough to take the old man's word for it. The woman's lodging would be far more likely to find the two of them together considering that they lived in far nicer accommodations than the boys. So, while Gajeel went off to find the third member of their party, Natsu made his way to the back of the pub to find Kinana. He hoped that Mira did not spot him, since it was after all off limits to everyone but staff, but he had to talk to her.

He opened the door slowly leading him to a winding stairwell that looked like it led to the cellar. He followed it and at the last step he found himself in a darkened room with rows of large oak barrels stacked on wooden shelves. The ceiling was a half circle made of bricks and led onwards down into dark recesses on either side. He thought the pub was large, but the cellar was even bigger. There had to be dozens of barrels full of wine and beer crowding the half dozen rows that disappeared into the darkness. The only source of light came from torches that hung along brick pillars and candles strung up from the ceiling.

He made his way down the narrow corridor when he spotted Kinana sitting hunched over a wooden table with her face in her hands. Natsu could see that the girl was obviously upset, but she wasn't crying. He was a bit hesitant, but right now it looked like the girl needed someone to talk to, and even though he wanted to persuade her into helping them, he was now second guessing it. Clearly there was something bothering the girl and he did not want to make matters worse, even though he knew how important she could be.

"Kinana?" Natsu said as he step towards the young purple haired girl. Kinana nearly jumped in place as she gazed up at Natsu.

"What are you doing back here?" she asked scowling at the pink haired teen. "The cellar is off limits to everyone but employees."

"I know," Natsu said as he took a seat beside her. "I just need to talk to you for a moment."

"Well then the answer is no!" She snapped as she folded her arms across her chest. "I am not going to help you track down the Orecion Seis agent."

"Why not?" Natsu asked.

"It doesn't matter why, all that matter is that I don't want to help," she said standing up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

"Kinana, I'm asking you this because I'm a friend," Natsu said.

"We hardly know each other Natsu," the girl answered with a deep breath. "I mean, yes I'm friends with Lucy, but you only just got here. I barely know anything about you, nor do you know a thing about me. How could you possibly understand how I feel?"

"I wasn't referring to you," Natsu told her. The girl was a bit stunned and confused at the same time as she glared at the boy with quizzical eyes. "I have spent a lot of time with Cobra." Natsu continued. "I traveled around a great deal with him, from Mila to Nirvit, and then even most of the way from Nirvit to here. And despite my upbringing and who he is, I discovered that he truly he's a good man. Everything he does, he does it because he's been trying to find someone he truly cares about. I'm not entirely sure if that's the truth, but that's what Jellal told me. Maybe that's how I came to like him. The two of us are so different, but we do the things we do because of the people that we love. And I can see that in him. Just like me he's driven to find the one person he cares about most in this world, no matter the cost.

"I'm only asking because I consider Cobra a friend now and I don't want to see him hurt. I would rather see if we can discover the information willingly, rather than bring him in and have someone interrogate him. I may be ignorant on a lot of issues, especially when it comes to politics, but the one thing I know is that you cannot trust a prison system to take care of your friends. So I'm asking you again, please, for the sake of my friend, will you help us?"

The girl stared at Natsu, as she could feel his words slicing through her. She didn't know why, but she began to feel a bit more at ease as he guard began to drop. She thought about Erik, knowing that this Cobra must have been him. She then began to wonder if Natsu's words were true. At least she hoped that they were true. She needed them to be true. Though now she knew that if she ever wanted to discover whether they were true herself, she was going to have to go through with their plan. And though every alarm in her mind was going off, her heart told her to go through with it.

"Yes," the girl sighed smiling at the pink haired teen. "When you put it that way, of course I'll help you."

Gajeel grumbled to himself as he ascended a top the stairway and entered into the girl's housing. Why did he have to be the one to fetch Jellal? Though that wasn't the thing that upset him the most, but it was when Cana decided to hassle him about how he was the only man around that didn't appear to have his own special girl. Who was she to chastise anyone? He could find a girl if he wanted to. It's just that he didn't want to. Not that he preferred men over women when it came to certain company. Certainly not. Absolutely not. Probably not.

He entered into the residence as he made his way down the hallway and came to a closed door. "Jellal," Gajeel called out as he opened the door. "Are you ready to go?"

When he opened the door and stepped into the room he stopped mid-step. There standing in front of him was Levy, naked with as she was midway through undressing herself. Her back turned to him so he could only see her thin bare legs and _other_ intriguing parts. The girl lifted her head as she heard something and slowly turned her head around to see the young bandit standing in her doorway.

The two of them stared at one another as Levy's entire body glowed a bright cherry red and Gajeel's face blushed pink. The girl's hands trembled as she screamed, covering the more private areas of her body with her hands.

"GET OUT!" she cried.

"I'm sorry, I was just—"

"GET OUT!" she cried again as she picked up a vase from a nearby nightstand and chucked it at the black haired teen.

Gajeel saw that the hand she removed from her body to grab the vase was the one covering the lower private area of her body. His eyes went wide as he stood there paralyzed from admiration. That was until his senses came in, as the vision of the vase slowed down giving him just enough time to shut the door enough for the vase to shattered against the hard wood. He was going to try and apologize to her again before her cry for him to get out as another object collided against the door.

That was enough for him to listen as he shut the door behind him. He was breathing heavily; the image Levy's naked body still flashing in his mind. He coughed as he shook his head, as though to rattle the image from the recesses of his mind, but then again he really did not want to. He could hear some rambling in the room, but he was still too stunned to move.

The black haired teen had never been one to be startled easily, but the second he heard the screech of the door opening he nearly leapt out of his boots. Levy walked through the doorway with her eyes shut, her face still a bright pink, her face agitated and annoyed. She was wearing a light blue sundress with a dark blue strip across the breast and sunflower pinned against her upper right bosom. She slammed the door behind her as she folded her arms across her chest as she refused to look at Gajeel. Even the black haired teen's face was still a bit flushed with embarrassment as he stared at the girl nervously.

"What do you want Gajeel?" she growled. Her eyes were still shut.

"I . . . uh . . . well, I," he stammered as he couldn't look at her with a straight face. All he could picture was her naked body underneath that sundress. His heart was racing fiercely.

"Well?" the girl snapped. Now she was looking at him with a harsh glare, one that caused Gajeel to shutter. She may have had a stark eye on him, but the rosy cheeks made her look that much cuter. "What? Don't you knock before entering a room like a normal person? What were you thinking? Or did you just want to see me naked?"

"What of course not!" Gajeel told her. "Why would I want to see you naked?" Levy's eyes just slit a bit more at him. "Not that I wouldn't want to see you naked. I mean you have a really cute ass." Now Levy's eyes just went wide as she pursed her lips at him. He knew that he was only making things worse, and perhaps he should restrain himself from saying anything on the subject. "Listen, I was just looking for Jellal." He finally said realizing that all he was doing was causing more harm than good.

"Jellal?" she asked. "Why would Jellal be here? This is the _woman's_ housing in case you forgot."

"Well, he is . . . you know with Erza," Gajeel said scratching the back of his head anxiously.

"What?" Levy asked. Her glare much more sinister now. "What are you implying?"

"You know," he said half hoping that she would understand what it was that he was implying. She just held her scowl. "Exploring the cave of wonders?" Levy raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You know; exploring the fertile delta? Snaking through the tall grass? Watering the secret garden? Dousing the eternal flame? Searching for buried treasure?"

Levy held up a hand to stop him. "What are you talking about?" She sighed annoyed.

"They're having sex," Gajeel finally answered.

"Why couldn't you just say that?" Levy sneered.

"I thought the other ways were more fun," Gajeel answered.

"You're so juvenile," she sighed rolling her eyes. "Though none of them are here, they took Wendy out to buy her some new clothes."

"So, what are you doing here?" Gajeel asked.

"I accidentally spilt some tea onto my own dress so I had to come back and change," Levy answered. "That was before you decided to come snooping into my room to see me undress? Come on, I'll show you where they are if it's so important that you find them."

"After you my Lady," Gajeel said bowing politely as he offered her the lead. Levy said nothing as she began to strut forward. That was until she realized that when Gajeel had seen her naked, it was her rear that was exposed to him. She spun around, and with an agitated expression returned to the doorway, her hands seemingly gliding to her rear to shield them from any wondering eyes. "What?" Gajeel asked her as she returned to her original position

"You," Levy said hesitantly. "You go first." Gajeel had no idea what she was going on about, and he wanted to make a remark about how, when someone is supposed to lead they are generally in front. But he did not want to frustrate the girl anymore than he already had. The day was bad enough as it was, and seeing that he now had to deal with a hostile Levy wouldn't make things any better.

Levy took Gajeel to a small café where he found Jellal and Erza sitting at a table with young Wendy. The place was small, quaint in it's own little way. It was so vastly different to the other cities Gajeel had visited. It was like Magnolia was centuries ahead of the rest of Fiore. The tables were still made of wood, but they had neatly chiseled seats that stood out on a flagstone patio. The three of them were sipping tea out of small cups. But what really caught Gajeel's eyes was the sight of Erza's hand in Jellal's. The three of them were a bit surprised to see Levy with Gajeel. Wendy smiled and waved at the two of them as Erza continued to sip on her own cup.

"Gajeel, Levy," Jellal said raising an eyebrow. "What are the two of you doing here?"

"This pervert needs to talk to you," Levy sighed as she strutted over and took the last available seat at the table. The strain was prevalent as the others began to grow a bit weary seeing the sour expression on Levy's face. Jellal and Erza exchanged glances of confusion.

"Okay," Jellal said anxiously as he looked up at Gajeel. "What do you need to talk about?"

"It has to do with Cobra," Gajeel answered as he stood outside the table. "It looks like Gildarts' plan isn't going to work so we need to find him and bring him in for questioning. I guess we'll need you there since Cobra considers you a friend more so than any of us."

Jellal bit his lip upon hearing what Gajeel was telling him, a strong tension arose in his gut. He figured it would have come to this, but he enjoyed the day he was spending with Erza and Wendy. "Do we have to do this now?" Jellal asked looking up hoping to hear a no. But seeing as how Gajeel had already come out to find him, he was probably going to hear something he did not want to.

"I think it's better if we get this done as soon as we can," Gajeel said. "Come on, we'll meet Natsu back at the pub and talk about what the plan of action is."

Jellal looked over at Erza for approval to leave but he was a bit reluctant as his lips twitched. He knew that this was interfering in their own personal time, but the redhead simply smiled and nodded her head. Jellal thanked her, and with a kiss on the forehead before he left with Gajeel. Erza sighed as she watched the two men leave, Levy continued to keep her same sour scowl as she drank from Wendy's cup. The young girl whined at the other woman as Levy realized her mistake and promptly apologized.

Just then Lucy walked out of the café, a cup of tea in her own hand as her white sundress, tied together with a white lace fluttered in the summer breeze. She spotted the two men leaving as she looked back at the table to see the other girls sitting waiting for her. The blonde glided over to the table and sat in the chair that Jellal just left. She could see that Wendy was a bit uneasy as she could feel the tension around the table.

"What's going on? Where's Jellal going?" the blonde asked as she peered over at Erza. The redhead had a less than happy scowl about her face as she grimaced with annoyance and anger. A sight that made all the others at the table feel a bit uneasy and worried.

"Nothing," she grumbled shaking her head. Though it was far too obvious that she was very much annoyed. "I guess its just business, as usual. Just like it always seems to be. Never any time to just sit and have a cup a tea with someone they hadn't seen in months." She said the last word as though it was it were venom leaking off of her tongue before she took on last gulp of her tea before standing up. "I'm going to get another cup."

"What's wrong with her?" Lucy asked as she watched Erza slump away. When she looked over to Levy she saw the girl was still a bit bitter. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Levy sighed. "It's just been one of those days."

"Oh," Lucy said nodding her head. She exchanged a glance with Wendy as the young girl was just as startled as the blonde. "I see." She began to drink her cup of tea quietly. The young Wendy did the same as they two of them wished that they could simply leave the table.


End file.
